Haunted And Taunted
by pikachugirl2
Summary: Ash begins to have strange nightmares in which a reflection of him kills his friends. When the reflection starts to torture him outside of his dreams, he takes matters into his own hands...only to fall right into its trap. VERY MUCH BLOOD/GORE.
1. Death By Dawn

Hell. The only word to describe that feeling. Of being trapped. Of having no way out. If you could wake up from hell, as if it were just a nightmare, and nothing else, you'd never have to relive those moments again. But sometimes, hell follows you even outside of your dreams…

* * *

Dark. It was completely dark. Not an ounce of light anywhere to be seen. Not only that, there was no one there. The only one who seemed to be living for miles, was him. This could only have been a nightmare. That is, a nightmare impossible to destroy.

"Hello? Anyone here?" Ash said quietly, hoping for a response. Much to his surprise, the response came very slowly…in the form of a muffled scream that made Ash shiver. A familiar voice that he couldn't pin his finger on. Ash found everything impossible to understand. He called out again, with the same response. He followed the voice through the endless void of black.

At one point, the voice seemed closer than ever, but it was still impossible to locate the point. Something sharp poked him in the back, as he realized the screaming had stopped. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to imagine the poking was just his imagination. But soon it turned to stabbing. He whipped around in pain.

"Ouch! What the he-"

Ash was cut off as he realized who had poked him, and just _what _had poked him. It was as if he were staring into a mirror. There was his reflection: a young boy dressed in the same clothes as him, with the same appearance, and even the scars under his eyes were the same. He looked down at the reflection's hand. In it was a knife, dripping with blood. Ash reached behind him and touched the stinging spot on his back gingerly.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Shut up. Touch your back again."

Ash felt a chill run down his spine. Something about the deep voice was beginning to make him worried about this whole situation.

Confused, he did as he was told, and touched the spot on his back again. He didn't understand at first, but then he realized he wasn't bleeding.

Which meant that wasn't his blood.

Ash felt his whole body begin to shiver with fear, but tried desperately not to show it. He faced the reflection again, but saw something he hadn't noticed at a first glance.

Blood stains. Everywhere. His pants, his jacket, his skin, even his hair was matted with blood.

"Who…are you…"

The reflection gently pressed the tip of the knife into his back, pushing deeper and deeper until it cut right through his clothes and through his skin. Beads of blood began to soak through the tattered remains of his jacket, which was now torn by the knife. Ash winced, overwhelmed with fear.

"What are you talking about? I'm you," the reflection said with a smirk.

All at once, before it could cut any deeper, the reflection disappeared, along with the knife. Ash felt relieved, but was still shaking from fear.

But one last time he heard the voice, colder than ever.

"Look behind you."

Ash did as he was told. As he expected the worse, the sight he was greeted with was something he never could've imagined.

Lying on the ground, muffled and tied up, was Dawn. Her clothes were slashed, her hair was matted with blood. Her left arm was slashed open, blood running down the sides and pooling next to her body, covering the tattered remains of her skirt in it as well. Her eyes were rolled back in her head, showing all who could see them the whites of her eyes, tainted only by the red blood vessels. Her head was cracked open as well, bits of flesh and even tiny fragments of her skull lying around, adrift in the pool of blood that was pouring from her head.

Ash felt nauseous, struck with absolute terror as he proceeded to examine Dawn's excruciatingly nauseating corpse remains.

Her chest had been sliced open, as well, and Ash forced himself to see past her shattered ribcage, flooded with blood, to realize her heart was missing. The assorted veins and arteries that were once connected to her heart were like rusted, unused pipes, caked and sealed with their own blood. Both of her lungs were still in their place. One had been entirely untouched, covered and shielded only by the flap of skin that had been ripped off to open her chest. Her other lung, however, was punctured with a knife wound. The untouched lung was dark blue with lack of oxygen, and her punctured lung was entirely black.

It took all of Ash's strength to keep himself from vomiting all over the blood-pooled ground. There was no words to describe how terrified he was at the moment. But he couldn't help but wonder where her heart was…as he took a few steps backward, his foot hit something squishy, that felt like a bag full of pudding. It spurted liquid when he stepped on it. As he looked down and finally vomited, he was lost in absolute horror as he realized what he'd just stepped on, was none other than…

Dawn's heart, torn to shreds.

* * *

Ash awoke in a cold sweat. Looking around, he was relieved to see that Brock was awake, smiling at him.

"Good morning. How'd you sleep?"

Ash couldn't respond. A lump lodged itself in his throat. Brock looked at him with concern.

"Hey, did you hear me? I said-"

Brock stopped talking as he heard Ash start to cry softly. Pikachu, who had been standing next to Brock, quickly rushed to Ash's side and patted his head reassuringly. As Dawn came out of her tent, all the fear and sickening images Ash had seen in his dream returned to him.

"Hi guys! Good morning, and-Ash, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Ash stood up and wiped his eyes. "Yeah, I'm f-fine."

Dawn gently put her hand on Ash's shoulder. At this, Ash's eyes went huge with terror and he collapsed backwards onto the ground, screaming at Dawn.

"Ash, what's wrong?" Dawn extended her hand to help him up, but he only frantically moved backwards, as far away from her as possible.

"Don't touch me! Don't even get near me!"

Ash gasped as Dawn's voice morphed into the deep voice of the reflection he'd seen in his dream. "You stupid boy, she's not the one you're after, is she?"

Ash's terror and fear turned to raging hate. Ash stood up and smacked Dawn's extended hand away.

"You're sick! Get out of here! You killed her!"

Dawn seemed confused. Her voice went back to normal, but it didn't convince Ash in the slightest.

"Ash, what's going on? You're scaring me?"

Ash grabbed Dawn's wrist and began to twist it. He twisted until Dawn went from concern to screaming in pain for him to stop. He only twisted harder. Brock ran up behind Ash when he heard the sound of bone snapping, followed by Dawn's scream of excruciating pain. Tears rushed down her face. Ash only glared harder at her. Brock reacted on instinct and hit Ash in the back of his head with a frying pan. His grip on Dawn instantly relaxed, and he fell to the ground. Brock sat Dawn down in a folding chair and made her show him her broken wrist, still crying.

"Yeah, that's definitely broken…I don't think a first aid kit can fix that…"

"W-well can you t-try?"

"Yeah. But…Ash…"

Brock, Dawn and Pikachu all glanced nervously at the boy, who was unconscious on the ground.

* * *

Ash opened his eyes. He was once again trapped, lost in the black void he came to know as hell. Remembering just where he was, the absolute horror of the last time he'd been there returned to him, and he feared the worst. He was too terrified to even move. He sat down, burying his face in his knees and beginning to cry. When the voice returned, he looked up, filled to the brim with terror and fear, tears streaming down his face.

"Foolish boy. What are you crying about?"

Ash stood up and looked around. This time, he was greeted with a shock when he saw not his reflection, but Dawn. Her eyes were glazed over, and her voice was exactly like that of the mysterious reflection of himself. Ash clenched his fists as a fresh spurt of tears flowed down his face.

"Leave me alone! Stop this!"

Dawn began to advance towards him almost mechanically. "You don't seem to understand this. You can try all you want, but words will get you nowhere."

Ash stepped backwards as Dawn got closer and closer to him. He found himself paralyzed with fear as his back hit a wall, and Dawn was free to attack her prey. As she advanced until they were inches away, the wall disappeared, and Ash stumbled backwards. Suddenly heavy chills began to run down his spine as Dawn disappeared. Then the prickling sensation in his back returned, as if he were being poked with the sharp tip of a blade. Dawn put her free arm around his neck so he had no escape. Then she whispered in his ear, amused by his horror.

"There is no way to get rid of me. I can be wherever I want, in the body of whoever I want. You're not going insane. This is real. Nothing you tell yourself will change the fact that I can do whatever I want to you, and you will only be pushed closer to insanity…"

Dawn drove the knife further into his skin. He ignored the pain, all of his terror paralyzing him, forcing him to hear her words. Ash felt himself release the breath he didn't know he'd been holding when she disappeared. But he feared the worst was still to come. The reflection's voice seemed to echo all around him.

_One by one, their blood will fall_

_Exposed by the blazing sun_

_As the voice taunts him, he'll slaughter all_

_Until he thinks the fight is won…_

Ash put his hands over his ears. "No…stop it…"

_He'll slaughter his family, he'll kill all his friends_

_He'll be filled with horror to the brim_

_He won't seem to realize until the end…_

Ash was screaming and crying by now. "DON'T SAY IT!!! YOU'RE A DIRTY LIAR!!! SHUT UP, JUST SHUT UP!"

_THAT ALL ALONG I WAS HIM…_

Ash was screaming louder than ever as the voice etched itself into his mind, playing the last words over and over like a broken record.

* * *

The soothing relief of the cold sweat reassured Ash momentarily as he sat up, released from his nightmare. He fought back his suppressed tears and looked around. The sky was dark, very dark. Brock was asleep in a sleeping bag next to him, and Dawn was sleeping in her tent. He assumed he'd just slept through the day…

Dawn.

The reflection was inside her.

This ended now. Ash was on the brink of insanity.

Ash quietly slid out of his sleeping bag, taking great care not to wake up Pikachu. He tiptoed over to Brock's sleeping bag and opened his backpack. He narrowed his eyes, partially with regret, as he pulled out a smooth, polished kitchen knife that gleamed in the moonlight. He took a deep breath before unzipping Dawn's tent and sliding into it. He knelt down over her sleeping bag, unzipping it. For once, he was glad Dawn was a heavy sleeper.

He felt a tiny tear slid down his face as his knife positioned itself at her throat. As he pressed against it lightly, small beads of blood began to appear and rest on the blade of his knife. Feeling this pain, Dawn awoke, confused and unaware of what was going on. She caught one look of Ash, realized her position, and tried to scream. But before she could manage, Ash quickly jerked the knife straight across her throat, slitting it open. Ash, once again, had to supress vomiting as her eyes rolled back in her head, exposing the blood vessles that lie underneath them. Ash looked at her throat. The blood was spurting and pooling on the front of her shirt and spilling onto her sleeping bag. The flaps of skin that had been sliced apart were dangling by threads of skin from her throat.

But that didn't prove she was dead all the way. Nor was the reflection. He pulled back her sleeping bag all the way so he could see her whole body. He unzipped the shirt of her pajamas, revealing her underdeveloped chest. If Dawn knew about this, she'd think he was a pervert, but Ash didn't do this to get his sick kicks. He positioned his knife to the left side of her chest and raised it, letting a tear fall onto her slit throat before bringing the knife straight down. The knife easily cut through her skin, and Ash heard several bones of her ribcage snap like twigs, as easily as her wrist had earlier on. He stabbed again and again, his hands shaking violently as the blood flew with every stab. At one point, he missed where he was aiming for, and his knife moved position slightly, stabbing her lung. He expected blood to spew from hitting a vital organ, but alas, none came.

Finally, he'd stabbed enough for him to pull back the flaps of skin that had been holding her chest together. Ash retained vomit yet again as Dawn's heart and unpunctured lung came into view. Her heart wasn't beating anymore. Ash carefully sliced all the veins and arteries that kept her heart in place. At last, her heart easily came off and he pulled it out of her chest. Just as he had raised his knife to stab it, sure it would destroy the reflection, he realized that he should wait until everything was gone and put away, and there was no evidence left. He slid the heart into his pocket, along with the bloodied knife.

He brushed himself off, picked up Dawn's body bridal-style, and reluctantly stepped out of the tent, carrying Dawn through the forest, stopping at a river. He took one last look at her, apologized, and threw her body into the river. When he threw it, she hit her head against a rock and her skull cracked, some of the skin on her head scraping off. Fragments of her skull drifted into the river as her body was slowly carried downstream. He sighed with heavy regret, glad that the reflection was gone and things were over with. He pulled Dawn's heart out of his pocket and looked at it before making a terrible realization.

Looking at Dawn's body in its current state, he realized that…the reflection was right. It had wanted this all along. Her body perfectly matched the one in his nightmare. Terror overtook him as the painful realization gripped him tightly.

Hell was just beginning.


	2. A Raven Haired Threat And A Misty Future

**The next day, Brock had discovered the truth, unaware it was Ash who had killed Dawn, but fully aware she had died. Brock had faced one of the hardest moments of his life as he called Dawn's mother to tell her about the incident. While Brock was occupied with this, Ash found an unused jewelry box of Dawn's with a small key. He opened it and placed her heart in it. It was rather large, so the heart seemed tiny compared to the box. Ash has been convinced stabbing the heart would release his reflection, so he refused to stab it, and sealed the heart in the box where no one could see it.**

**Days later, Ash and Brock journeyed back to Twinleaf Town for Dawn's funeral. The service was short, and several of their friends attended. Even Dawn and Ash's rivals were there, along with other people's rivals appearing at the loss of their dear friend.**

**Misty, Gary, and May were there, being Dawn's good friends for a while. Others there included Zoey, Kenny, Barry, Drew, Max, Harley, Nando, Conway, even Paul was there. A lot more people cared about Dawn then he had originally assumed. After the service, Misty and May were unsuccessful in cheering Brock up. Ash, meanwhile, was five times more impossible to reassure than Brock was. Misty and May couldn't seem to get through to him at all. Not even Pikachu could seem to find out what was wrong…**

* * *

"**Sorry Sis, looks like you're stuck."**

"**Oh, come on! You've gotta be fucking kidding me! "Well, they said everything should be ready again in about a week, so-"**

"**Wait. I have to stay in Sinnoh for a week? GRR!"**

**Misty angrily slammed the video phone against the receiver as Daisy's face disappeared from the screen. Brock noticed her anger.**

"**What's wrong, Misty?"**

"**The stupid ferry company is shut down! I had a trip back booked and everything!!!"**

**Moments later, May, Max, Drew, Gary, and Harley walked over to Misty. May had a sad look on her face. "All the ferries back to Hoenn have been canceled too."**

**Brock seemed concerned for a moment before smiling. "You know, this isn't so bad! Think about it! Misty, May, Max, and then Ash and me! And then Gary, Drew, and Harley! It's like the old gangs and rivals all over again!"**

**Max smiled. "Maybe this won't be so bad after all. But I do want to see Ash again…"**

**Brock's smile faded into a look of concern. "I don't know. He's been acting…weird lately."**

"**Huh? What do you mean?" Drew's face took a quizzical look.**

"**I don't know how to explain it…he's been seemingly scared and aggressive…"**

**Harley smiled and put his arms around Brock and Drew. "Don't be down, my dear friends! Together we will last through anything! Besides, I've missed you so!"**

**Brock felt embarrassed. "Uh, thanks…I missed you too, Harley…err…"**

**Misty sighed. "It's getting late. We should find a hotel."**

"**Why don't we all go to Sandgem Town? It's only about a half-hour walk from here, and there's a Pokemon Center big enough for all of us."**

* * *

**Thirty minutes later, the group arrived in Sandgem Town and immediately headed for the Pokemon Center. The group went downstairs to get something to eat for dinner. That is, everyone except Ash. Ash, relieved with the knowledge that, with the reflection gone, he'd have a peaceful night's sleep. Pikachu had noticed a slight spring in his step as he walked upstairs, and was under the impression its trainer was bipolar…**

**Ash flopped down onto the bed, immediately realizing how tired he was and falling asleep. Pikachu just sighed, curled up next to its trainer, and fell fast asleep.**

* * *

**Ash opened his eyes, glancing around. He tilted his head, confused. It was still so…dark. But Reflection was gone! Why was it still dark?**

**Ash held his breath as he heard footsteps. He mustered up all his courage to speak. "If anyone's there, come out now!"**

"**If that's what you want me to do…"**

**Ash froze with fear. No, not again. That same voice. The same voice again. There was no possible way, Reflection was sealed inside of Dawn's heart…Unless…**

**It somehow got out.**

**Ash gritted his teeth and tried to show bravery in the face of Reflection as it stepped out of the darkness.**

"**You…h-how…"**

**Reflection grabbed Ash by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up, nearly choking him, and smirked at the boy's desperate struggles for escape.**

"**You don't yet understand, do you? I can be whoever I want, whenever I want, and you'll never know…"**

**Reflection flung Ash down onto the ground. He landed hard on his face, slamming his head against the ground. Ash stood up and reached behind his head. When he looked at his hand, it was covered in blood.**

"**W-what do you want from me? What did I do???"**

"**Hmm. You know, I find it quite enjoyable to mess with one like you."**

**Tears poured down Ash's face, both of absolute terror and frustration. "Stop! Please!"**

**Reflection disappeared, leaving Ash to fend for himself in the darkness. Ash began to scream frantically, terrified beyond belief and longing for a way to escape. His eyes fell upon figures in a distance. All of his friends were lined up, smiling, a blank expression on their faces. Slowly, one by one, they disappeared, leaving only silhouettes of three people Ash couldn't make out…he screamed once more, confused and horrified.**

* * *

"**Ash…Ash? Ash, wake up!"**

**Ash sprang up from his nightmare to find himself inches from Gary. Gary's look of concern quickly turned to a smile.**

"**Hey, you alright? You slept through lunch and dinner. I wanted to know if you wanted something to eat."**

"**No thanks, I'm fine, Gary."**

**Gary looked out the window. "You know, everyone here is worried about you."**

"**What do you mean everyone?"**

"**Well, all our ferries back got canceled for a week, so we're stuck here."**

**Ash smirked. "It would only figure, of all people to be stuck with, I have the one guy that I still fight with constantly."**

**Gary laughed, and a sudden chill ran down Ash's spine. **

"**Gary…your voice…got deeper…"**

"**Yeah, well, it's called puberty." The second time, Ash recognized the voice instantly, and his head swarmed with thoughts.**

_**No…no way, I'm going crazy…**_

"**Ashy-boy, is something wrong?"**

**Ash clutched his head as if he had an awful headache. "No…Gary, go away…I need some time to think…"**

"**Ash…" Gary gently placed his hand on Ash's shoulder. Instantly and inconspicuously, Ash's eyes went wide with fear, and with an unavoidable reflex, he slugged Gary across the face. Gary staggered backwards, holding the spot on his jaw where Ash had delivered the blow. He leaned down and coughed, tiny specks of blood splattering across the floor. He looked up at Ash angrily.**

"**What the hell, Ketchum???"**

**Gary's voice was still reaching him as that of the dark reflection that had been torturing him. Ash's eyes had widened to the point where it seemed almost…inhuman. He appeared to be in a sort of trance, his eyes watering and his voice low and cold.**

"**Get out of here, Oak, get out!!!"**

**Gary stood his ground, staring Ash down. "What the fuck is your problem? You were just fine a few seconds ago!"**

"**I SAID GET OUT!!! NOW!!!" Ash slipped his hand into his pocket as Gary firmly gazed into his eyes, a slight hint of concern lurking within them.**

"**Ash…what's wrong with you…"**

**Although at last Gary's voice had returned to normal, Ash looked at the ground, his eyes concealed by his hat, casting a shadow across his face. His hand in his pocket gripped something tightly.**

"**Last warning, Oak, before I make you leave."**

"**No way, Ash, I'm by your side all the way…"**

**Gary withheld a gasp as Ash looked up, his eyes going from trance-like to maniacal in mere moments, seeming to slice through Gary's gaze like razorblades. Ash's hand flew out of his pocket, wrapped tightly around a knife covered in dried blood. He pointed it at Gary.**

"**It's your funeral, then!"**

**Gary's instincts drove him to run as Ash lunged at him, the knife penetrating only the air. Without really thinking what he was doing, he reached for his Pokeballs, yielding no result. He'd forgotten he'd left them all in his room…**

**Gary's thoughts had taken a moment too long to come through, and he narrowly avoided being stabbed square in the eyes. However, he winced as he heard the **_**chink! **_**sound of a knife that had hit solid bone. **

"**ASH! STOP!" Gary clutched his now bleeding arm, watching helplessly as the red fluid began to soak through his shirt's sleeve. **

**Ash simply ignored the boy and kept frantically stabbing again and again at Gary. He narrowly managed to dodge each one. As Ash stopped for breath, Gary seized the opportunity to dash across the room and wrench a drawer open. Ash regained his breath, proceeding to stab at Gary again and again. Still clutching his arm, Gary's eyes fell upon a hairbrush left in the drawer. With Ash's next stab, he slid behind Ash, not giving Ash enough time to turn around. Gary quickly let go of his arm and grabbed the hairbrush, extending it in front of him. **

**Ash stabbed once more, and the knife went straight through the hairbrush. Ash tried to pull it back out, but no luck. The knife held fast. Gary quickly threw the hairbrush to the ground and rushed out the door, his blood dripping onto the floor and leaving a trail. As he slammed the door shut behind himself, he could hear the **_**whoosh! **_**of a knife slicing through the air and coming to rest in the door like a dart.**

**Gary finally took a deep breath before sinking to the floor, realizing just how much pain he was in at the moment. He sighed, thinking about how lucky he was to have made it out of that alive.**

**But Ash…**

**Thoughts raced through Gary's mind. Why in God's name had Ash wanted to kill him? And just what was going on with him?**

**He had to tell the others.**

**Gary rushed down the stairs as quickly as his legs could carry him.**

* * *

**Ash furiously pulled the knife he had thrown out of the door and returned it to his pocket. He sat down on the bed, cursing himself silently and staring at the blood trail Gary had left behind. If Reflection really **_**was **_**still alive…**

**A soft, scared whimper immediately drew all of Ash's attention. He felt horrible, realizing he'd forgotten completely about the one witness to the fight that had just taken place. He looked behind him on the bed. Lying on it was none other than Pikachu, whose face had taken a look of horror beyond belief, tears in its eyes.**

"**Oh my God…Pikachu…I'm so sorry…"**

**Ash extended his hand to the small Pokemon, but it only drew back in fear.**

"**Pikapi…Pika, Pikachuuu…"**

**Ash's voice softened. "It's okay. Don't be afraid of me. I promise I'd never hurt you. Ever."**

**Pikachu still seemed unsure, and only drew back further. Ash sighed angrily.**

"**Arceus dammit, you wouldn't understand anyway!"**

**Pikachu took a deep breath before touching Ash's arm tenderly. "Pikapi…"**

**Ash smacked Pikachu's hand away. "You don't get it! No one gets it, dammit!"**

**Ash sighed and opened the window. As beautiful as the night sky looked, the cold air that stung his face drove him to tears of frustration. He leapt out the window and ran. He didn't know where he was going, but anywhere was better than where he was now. Pikachu stared on, confused and helpless.**

* * *

"**That's about it," Brock said softly as he finished bandaging up Gary's arm. **

"**Thanks," Gary said quietly.**

**May just sighed. "So Ash is really that bad?"**

**Gary nodded. Max stood up angrily.**

"**There's no way! I know Ash, he'd never do something like that!"**

**May touched Max's shoulder tenderly. Max sat down beside her once more. "That's just the problem, though. Ash would never do something like that…"**

**Misty stood up this time. "Well, where is he?"**

**Around then, Drew came back from upstairs. "He's not in his room, guys…and the window was open."**

**Pikachu followed Drew out, a look of worry on its face. "Pikapi…"**

**May opened her arms. "Pikachu, come here."**

**Gary sighed. "I completely forgot…Pikachu, did you see all that?"**

**Pikachu nodded once more, tears in its eyes. May smiled at it softly and continued to try and coax the small Pokemon into her arms. At last, it gave in and ran into her loving embrace.**

**Brock smiled. "You and Pikachu always did have a pretty strong bond…"**

**May gently rubbed Pikachu's back. The small Pokemon had began to cry softly at what was happening to its trainer. Misty stood up again.**

"**Someone's gotta go look for him."**

"**Pikachupi!" Pikachu cried out.**

**Gary nodded as Misty proceeded towards the door. "Pikachu's right. It's dangerous to go alone."**

**It was Harley's turn to stand up this time. "Let me go with her. I'll protect her, I promise."**

**Drew began to say something, but kept his mouth closed as Misty and Harley walked out the door and into the night.**

* * *

**It seemed as if they were walking nowhere. It had started to get really dark, really fast. In addition, the forest seemed endless, and made it appear as if they'd been wandering around in circles. Misty held on to Harley's arm to keep from getting lost. A distant voice caught her attention.**

"**Stupid! How could I be so stupid?"**

**Misty eagerly ran in front of Harley. "Did you hear that?"**

**Harley looked around. "Hear what?"**

**The voice rang through the night, louder this time. "That."**

"**That time…I heard it…"**

**Misty's eyes were filled with concern. "You think it's Ash?"**

"**Not sure…it's familiar…really familiar! It has to be!"**

**Misty smiled, and broke into a run. Harley called after her, but she ignored him and kept running until at last the thick forest parted to reveal a small stream. Next to it was a raven-haired boy she recognized immediately, throwing stones into the river and cursing himself.**

"**Ash! Hey, Ash!"**

**Ash turned his head to see a relieved and smiling Misty. His expression remained blank, and he resumed throwing stones and cursing himself. Misty looked at him worriedly as Harley caught up to her.**

"**Misty, what's wrong?"**

**Misty sighed. "It's Ash…he's…"**

**Harley angrily walked up to Ash, snatched the stone out of his hand, and threw it into the stream. Ash's eyes narrowed as Harley shook him.**

"**You stupid boy! Pay attention!"**

**Ash's eyes went wide once again at those words. **_**Foolish boy…you stupid, foolish boy…there is no escaping…**_

**Ash's hand darted to his pocket, his eyes watering. "No! Not again! Not a third time…"**

**Misty immediately set her eyes upon the knife that glimmered in his hand, which he was slowly pulling out of his pocket.**

"**HARLEY! MOVE!"**

**Harley moved out of the way in time to avoid being stabbed in the stomach. The maniacal look returned, and only Misty seemed to see it as Harley dodged Ash's jabs again and again, desperately trying to find some way out of things. **

**Harley tripped, and Misty's stomach lurched. She screamed. "ASH, STOP!"**

**Ash ignored the girl's pleas and brought his knife straight down, aiming for the fallen boy. Harley managed to roll over in time to avoid his blow. His knife stuck fast in the ground, but after a swift jerk it came out with ease. Harley rushed back to Misty's side, beginning to pull her back into the forest.**

"**Misty, we have to go! NOW!"**

"**But…Ash…"**

**Harley tugged on her arm until she gave in and he pulled her into the forest. But the sound of furious footsteps behind him was threatening to give Harley a heart attack in fear.**

**Suddenly, the darkness caused them to circle around and come straight back to the clearing they'd been in moments ago, the footsteps following close behind. As someone shouted what seemed like a battle cry, Harley rushed to the side. This was followed by a loud scream.**

"**OH MY GOD! MY EYE!"**

**Misty fell to the ground, screaming, a puddle of blood staining the grass below her. As she looked up at Harley, he was filled with nausea. Her left eye was nothing more than a hollow hole, spurting blood. Pieces of white and red were adrift in the bloody puddle. Her other eye was furiously spurting tears.**

"**HARLEY, RUN!"**

**Ash stepped on Misty's hand, grinding his shoe until he felt something snap underneath his foot and saw blood staining the grass beneath her fingertips. Ash smirked and looked up at Harley.**

"**Are you going to run and leave her here?"**

**Harley took several steps back before breaking into a full speed run into the forest, tears threatening to spill over.**

* * *

**All it took was one swing of the knife, straight down, that pierced her back. He twisted his knife inside of her as blood came in a fresh spurt with every slight movement of it. The screaming had stopped, and Misty's remaining eye rolled back in her head.**

**Ash rolled her over and sliced her chest open. **_**As long as she's dead, it'd be a good idea to play it safe…**_

**He carefully slid his knife through her arteries and veins, pulling her heart out carefully. He set his knife down and opened his backpack, taking out Dawn's jewelry box. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the key, opening the box with utmost care, and placing Misty's heart next to Dawn's, which had left a red stain on the bottom of the box. He quickly relocked it and put the key back, putting the knife and jewelry box away. He took Misty's body and reluctantly slid it into the stream, like he had done to Dawn's. He stared into his reflection in the water.**

_**What…what have I turned into…First Dawn, then Misty…That…Reflection…**_

**Ash clenched his fists.**

**He wouldn't rest until Reflection was gone.**

**No matter WHAT it took.**


	3. Inescapable Darkness For My Victims

"GUYS!" Harley burst through the door. All eyes turned, but Harley's eyes couldn't help meeting a set of extremely frightened ones that noticed that Misty hadn't returned. That set of deep black eyes began to water, tears spilling over and sliding down its red cheeks. Harley couldn't take the sight of Pikachu crying when he hadn't even said anything. May noticed and hugged it tighter. The two of them were now wrapped in a quilt and hugging each other tightly.

Harley shook his head. "This is getting way out of control. I don't think we should go look for him anymore."

Pikachu began to say something, but May gently shushed it, stroking its head gently. Brock looked worriedly at both of them. May appeared just as scared as the rest of them.

Max spoke up. "So we just leave him out there?"

Harley sighed. "Hopefully things will work themselves out…and Ash'll be okay."

May's voice began to crack. "And if they don't? What happens to us?"

Drew shot May a look of sympathy. "He's gone Zubat-shit crazy."

Gary closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch he was sitting against on the floor. "That's an understatement. Something's seriously gone wrong. He was just fine…"

Max tilted his head. "Be careful how you move your arm. We don't want you to start bleeding again."

Gary stood up and sat on the couch. "I don't care how much I have to bleed; I just want that kid to be okay."

Brock reassuringly set his hand on Gary's shoulder. "He'll be fine. Don't worry." Brock's voice was soft but firm. "I think now we should worry more about ourselves and keeping all of us safe."

Drew stood up. "There's gotta be some extra wood lying around; I can board up the doors and windows."

Max leapt up too. "I wanna do something to help, too!"

Brock smiled. "Max, can you find some extra first aid kits and flashlights? Maybe some batteries?"

"I'm on it!" Brock chuckled as Max shot like a rocket up the stairs. Brock turned to Harley.

"Hey, did you get hurt?"

Harley shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Alright. Would you mind helping me with dinner? I heard you're pretty good at cookies."

Harley's face lit up. "Oh yeah! May loves those cookies! Don't you, May?"

May looked up, her eyes watering from thinking about Ash's fate. "Y-yeah, I guess…"

Harley eagerly skipped to the kitchen. Brock turned to Gary. "You just take it easy for a little while, okay?"

Gary nodded. Brock knelt down beside May and rubbed Pikachu's head.

"He'll be okay, Pikachu. Everything will be fine."

Pikachu nodded sadly. Brock stood up and walked to the kitchen. Gary walked over to the fireplace, threw in some wood, and started a fire with his good arm before sitting back down. May wrapped herself and Pikachu tighter in the tear-stained quilt.

* * *

Ash slammed the knife into the ground and sat down beside it. "Dammit! This is hopeless!"

His eyes scanned the peaceful lake. _I don't know how else to escape Reflection. I'll…wait, I know. I just won't go to sleep anymore._

Ash lied down and put his hands behind his head, gazing up at the star-stained night sky, distracting himself with thoughts. _Okay…so there's still May, Drew, Brock, Harley, Gary, and Max left. And one of them is gonna get possessed by Reflection next…And of course Pikachu. Damn…Pikachu…wonder if it'll ever forgive me…_

As his thoughts turned to Pikachu, Ash found it harder and harder to concentrate, and he could feel sleep tugging at his eyes. He shut them tightly and flung them open in an attempt to wake up. _No, dammit! I don't care HOW tired, I am, I'm not…_

He couldn't even think straight at this point. He felt somewhat nauseous, holding the knowledge that he'd end up falling asleep and meeting that awful Reflection face-to-face again. But this time, he felt ready. More prepared.

As he finally gave in to sleep and his eyes closed involuntarily, Ash knew somewhere inside him that this would end soon.

* * *

"Alright," Brock began, checklist in hand, his friends gathered around him on the floor. "Drew, did you board everything up?"

Drew nodded. "They're not the sturdiest, but it'll hold for quite a while."

Brock checked it off. "And Max, did you find any flashlights?"

Max sighed. "I searched high and low, but I could only find three…but I found lots of batteries under May's bed. And her diary."

May's anguish quickly turned to anger. "Don't tell me you LOOKED in it…"

Max dashed up the stairs before answering, just in case May tried to wring his neck. "Um…you know, whoever thinks your chest is way beyond average size is right. They do make you look less fat."

Fury flashed in May's eyes. She set Pikachu down. "Gary, watch Pikachu for me, I have a kid to strangle." With that, she ran up the stairs, screaming that she was going to rip Max limb from limb. The others laughed.

Brock went back to his checklist. "Okay, and dinner will be ready in about five minutes. Harley, you know a lot of good recipes, you know. How come you only bake cookies?"

Harley stared at the floor. "Because usually people get this urge to throw my food back at me and…well, May probably has something about it in her diary…"

Gary looked up. "Hey guys, we have a serious, SERIOUS problem. I checked the website of the ferry service that we all had a ride home on, and…well…that particular ship had to undergo maintenance, and…there won't be any trips back to Hoenn for a month. And from Hoenn, I was supposed to take a ferry back to Kanto and…"

Drew swore loudly, and Brock was glad for once that Max was upstairs being killed by his sister. "So we're stuck here with that…that…MANIAC???"

Gary looked up at the ceiling. "I guess…he'll be alright. He's a strong boy."

* * *

In the complete darkness and silence, Ash still saw no light, no glimmer of hope in front of him. He reached for the knife, only to find it wasn't there. However, there was a looming figure out in the distance. He tightened his fists and shouted.

"Reflection, you dirty son of a bitch! Show yourself!"

The voice seemed even colder and more heartless. "If that's what you want, but you'll never know which one's me…"

Ash didn't understand, but once he saw it, he gasped. May, Max, Brock, Gary, Harley, and even Pikachu were lined up around him, forming a circle.

May spoke coldly in Reflection's voice. "You do realize that no matter what you do, I'll always be a step ahead of you, boy."

As Ash prepared to lunge at May, Brock spoke. "This is exactly what I'm talking about."

Then Drew. Ash was starting to feel dizzy. "You have no idea where I am, or where I can be."

Gary. "You'll never be able to escape this hell. I will drag you down to the deepest point of insanity."

Harley. "There's nothing you can do to stop me. What were you thinking? That killing your friends would help?"

May again. "This isn't your decision, it's mine. You are my tool; I will make you kill them all."

Even Pikachu. "No matter who it is, you WILL kill them."

Ash held his head in his hands. The darkness seemed to be spinning. He shut his eyes tightly and screamed. "Why are you doing this???"

Reflection finally came out into the open, once again a pure reflection of Ash. He crossed his arms. "Because I thrive off of fear. There IS no way for you to get rid of me, because you're so afraid. Afraid of me, afraid of hurting your friends, afraid of yourself. You can't even trust yourself anymore, can you?"

Ash felt a small tear flow down his face at this realization. "Please…why me…"

Reflection smirked. "So much untapped fear, so little time. It won't be long before your fear reaches its peak, and when it finally does, you can be sure I will haunt you forever, and taunt you every day in your nightmares."

Ash collapsed to the ground, sobbing. "Stop…please…I never…did anything to you…I don't even know you!"

"Idiot! Why should I care who my prey is? I ought to just kill you now, and watch the fear light up your face. And you can tell yourself again and again that I'm just an illusion, but you and I both know that you are only lying to yourself…"

Reflection began to kick Ash while he was on the ground. "Get up. You pathetic little idiot, get up! Get up! Get the fuck up!" Ash looked up at him. His voice seemed to be getting less deep, and… "Oh my God…no fucking way…"

* * *

"Hey! Loser! Get up!"

Ash's eyes snapped open, and he reacted on instinct when he saw Paul looming over him, shaking him awake. Ash instantly punched Paul hard in the face. Paul staggered backwards, blood dripping from his mouth.

"You little shit, what the hell?"

Ash's eyes were still wet from crying, and one more tear slid down his face. "Don't sneak up on me!"

"Okay, okay. You punch like a girl. Pathetic…anyway, I had to wake you up. You were saying something about an illusion being real…and then you went into this little spasm and started hitting the ground with your fists like crazy, screaming "Make it stop" or something. And it was really pissing me off."

"No, I can't…I can't stop him…" Ash held his head in his hands again and began to cry, not caring that Paul was in front of him. Paul just stared.

"What the hell are you going on about?"

"In…in my nightmare…and you were…he was you…and…every inch of me…wants to kill you! And…I can't…STOP MYSELF!" Ash pulled out his knife, still crying. By this point, it seemed as if he wasn't even controlling his own movements…

Paul backed up, and looked at Ash once more before running for his life, through the thick forest, never once looking back at the footsteps he heard behind him.

* * *

Max almost jumped as he heard the frantic pounding on the door. "OPEN IT, DAMMIT! HE'S COMING!"

Brock quickly looked through one window that hadn't been boarded up, just in case. Paul was standing at the door, shouting frantically. Brock quickly opened the window, and Paul, without a second thought, dove through it, quickly scrambling into the room. Brock locked the window again and pulled the curtains over so no one could see in. Paul still heard footsteps, and it wasn't long before there was a huge sickening crack against the door, like it could give any second now. Brock turned to the rest of them.

"May, take Max and Pikachu and hide somewhere! NOW!"

May, her heart racing, stood up, still wrapped in the quilt, picked up Pikachu in one arm and grabbed Max's hand, dashing up the stairs. Max quickly grabbed a flashlight off of the floor, thankfully already with batteries in it, and ran with her as fast as he could. Brock looked at the remaining people.

"Paul, are you hurt?" Brock asked frantically as another sickening crack hit the door.

Paul shook his head. Harley tensed. "We'll stay here and fight, Brock."

"Okay. I'll help in a minute, too. Gary, you go hide too. You're injured, and I can't let you get hurt anymore."

Around then, a certain red-haired teenager came storming down the stairs. "Would you keep it down? We're TRYING to sleep!"

Brock was confused. "Jessie? When did you-never mind. Are James and Meowth here?"

Jessie nodded. "Yeah, and now none of us can sleep! We snuck in through an open window in the attic last night and slept in there!"

"Okay…Jessie, get James down here NOW. You hide with Meowth, okay?"

"But what-"

Harley spoke up. "Jessie, dear, there's no time to explain the situation. We need James."

Jessie nodded and ran back up the stairs as the door made a huge cracking sound again. It would give any second now…

After what seemed like forever, James dashed down the stairs, panting and out of breath. "Okay, I'm here. What do the twerps want with-hey, where's Ash?"

As the door came down at last, Ash stood in the dust, a maniacal look in his eyes that wasn't his own. Paul tensed.

"Right there."


	4. April Fires Bring May's Pyres

"Quick, in here!" May whispered harshly as she motioned for Max and Pikachu to hide in the attic. She quickly closed the door that had been resting at the top of the stairs they had dashed up. Once she was sure the door was shut and locked tightly, she sat down, taking Pikachu back into her arms and re-wrapping the quilt around the two of them. Max worriedly gazed up at his older sister.

"May, why'd we leave Ash down there? Doesn't he want to come up with us?"

May sighed. "Max, Ash…isn't himself right now. We have to respect that and leave him alone to make his own decisions."

Pikachu felt a lump rise in it's throat. It struggled to keep its voice from breaking. "Pikapi, pika, pikachu…"

Max tilted his head. "Sis, what's Pikachu saying?"

"Pikachu says that the twerp's not making his own decisions."

All three of them turned their heads to see Meowth wander over to them, with Jessie right behind it, ducking to avoid hitting the ceiling of the attic.

"Hey, Team Rocket. Where's James?" Max wondered.

Jessie sat down next to May, hugging her knees. "The oldest twerp said he needed James's help, but…I'm not sure for what."

May held Pikachu tightly. "What was that about Ash not making his own decisions?"

Meowth shrugged. "Do you seriously think I've been watching everything you twerps have been doing in the last few days?"

Max smiled. "Considering you're Team Rocket, yes."

"Well we haven't, kid. We've been staying up here, trying to sleep, and you kiddies all started running everywhere, and now all our hopes of sleeping have gone straight down the drain."

Jessie looked worriedly at Pikachu, who was on the brink of tears, its eyes watering after meeting Jessie's. Jessie couldn't help but feel sorry for it.

"Whatever it is, it sure is bothering Pikachu. Did something happen to Ash?"

May closed her eyes as a tear slipped out, dripping onto the wooden floor of the attic. "More than you can ever imagine."

* * *

Drew held his hands up, as if to push Ash back. "Now hold on a minute, Ash. We don't want any trouble. We just want to know what's going on with you."

Ash swung his knife out in front of him, pointing it at Drew. "YOU LISTEN HERE!" His voice was still his own, but harsh and raspy. His movements seemed as if they were not his own, which worried Brock greatly. Drew stepped forward slowly.

"We'll listen. Tell us whatever you need to tell us."

Ash gave Drew a cold glare. "I've gone through hell and back, time and fucking time again. Don't you DARE tell me what you want. Do you care at all what I've been through? I've killed two people, injured my rival, and traumatized my best friend in the whole world. And you are going to sit here and tell me what YOU want???"

Harley briskly walked forward. "Now look, he just-"

Ash swung his knife over to Harley, letting it come to rest in the air just mere inches from his neck. "YOU BASTARD! You don't understand either! Just…just shut up! All of you! One of you has him, I know it! If I have to go through all of you, I'll…I'll…"

Ash's eyes began to water. Brock inched forward slowly. "It's okay, Ash, take it easy. We want to help you."

Ash backed up until he was up against a wall, tears falling over the edges of his eyes. "No, I can't do this…I can't do this…get away, I can't…"

As Ash started to cry, he slumped to the floor, his grip on the blood-stained knife loosening. Brock knelt down beside him, resting the palm of his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Shh. It's alright now. Everything will be fine."

Paul felt like he could vomit. He was expecting something gory and life-threatening here, not a touching scene between two friends with a brotherly bond. However, when Brock leaned over to hug Ash reassuringly and show Ash his trust, his body blocking the view of Ash's, Paul's eyes went huge with fear as the event played out before his eyes in slow motion.

He couldn't see anything from Ash's side. No one could. All anyone saw was the knife's tip slide out from Brock's back, and heard choking and gagging sounds from Brock as drops of blood dripped onto the floor slowly, forming a puddle of the red fluid. As Ash's arm swung back swiftly, the knife pulled out evenly and cleanly, leaving a gaping wound in Brock's back, his torn and damaged bone and muscle showing to all. It was enough to make even Paul shudder in horror. Ash's menacing, maniacal eyes gave a cold, murderous glare to everyone in the room as Brock doubled over in pain, holding his chest with both hands, blood dripping from his mouth.

James's voice rang out loud and clear in the room. "RUN!!!"

* * *

Pikachu's ears perked up. It looked around, and Jessie and Meowth winced after hearing James's voice, sounding very scared and desperate. Meowth looked around too, beginning to fill with fear from top to bottom. It looked at May.

"H-hold on! What's g-going on???"

May looked blankly at the floor, opening her arms a little. "I can't explain now. Come here."

Reluctantly, and after receiving a nod of approval from Jessie, Meowth crawled into May's arms, glad for the reassuring warmth of the quilt.

May held her breath as she heard the sound of heavy, frantic footsteps all over the place. She motioned for all five of them to be extremely quiet, just in case. Max tugged on her sleeve.

"May, what's going on…I'm scared…I…I wish Ash was here! He'd know what to do!"

May held her finger to her lips, motioning for Max to be quiet. "It's okay. It'll be over soon."

Her eyes wandering, Jessie looked around the room, worried about James, and if he'd be okay. Let alone what was happening. While her eyes wandered, she couldn't help but feel drawn to Pikachu's deep black eyes that seemed to draw her in, shimmering with surpressed tears. Something in Jessie's heart felt weak looking at its pain.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. It hurts me too."

Pikachu, noticing Jessie's discomfort, looked away once more. Jessie gazed out the small window in the attic, hoping to find some answers soon.

* * *

Drew's heart raced as he hid behind the wall nearest to the kitchen. Ash walked around slowly, seeming to enjoy terrorizing the boys, his footsteps echoing off the walls and throughout the room. Drew closed his eyes, now breaking into a cold sweat and close to cardiac arrest as Ash's footsteps seemed to draw nearer to him.

Peering back into the main room, he saw Brock doubled over in pain, holding his hands over his chest. Drew was relieved that the knife hadn't hit him in the heart, but that was the least of Brock's problems. Rapid blood loss could mean big problems, especially since there was no way to get help for anyone. This was like a deadly game of hide-and-seek: from the start, the winner is already decided.

Harley, Paul, and James were nowhere in sight, but carefully looking around, Drew could see Gary hiding behind a couch. In his distraction, he noticed that the footsteps…seemed to be getting softer? He risked a quick glance in that direction and was shocked with what he saw.

Ash was slowly working his way up the stairs on a direct course to the attic.

* * *

May held her breath. Max and Jessie didn't move. Meowth looked around, confused. And Pikachu stared at the door, soon to be opened, with anticipation of both joy and paralyzing fear.

The worn-down door fell easily with several stabs to the hinges. It hit the ground with a loud thud, causing chills to run down everyone's spines. Ash smirked, looking around like a child on Christmas morning, just trying to choose what gift to open first. He took a moment to gaze into the reflection of his knife.

"A reflection. That's what this is all about. Look what I've become from my own reflection. No, he's not. He's not my reflection. He's a demon."

He pointed his knife at each person in the room. "And he's inside one of you."

Max's eyes watered as the knife stopped at him. He clung to his sister's arm, his voice cracking in horror. "S-Sis…"

Ash knelt down to eye level with Max, smiling smugly and menacingly. Max looked ready to cry. Ash lifted the knife so Max's chin rested on the very tip.

"What's wrong? Afraid of me? I'm still the same Ash. But you're probably not the same Max. For all I know, you could be that demon. It's nothing personal, Max. I'll just have to kill you. Don't worry, you'll be with Dawn and Misty soon."

Max jumped up, staggering backwards away from the knife. "NO! That was YOU that killed Dawn??? I…I don't believe it! I don't believe a word of it! You filthy liar!"

Fire flashed in Ash's eyes. He kicked Max hard in the stomach, sending the small boy flying, only stopping himself by hitting his back hard against a wall. "Shut up, you little shit!"

May put Pikachu and Meowth down, dropped her quilt, and stood up, glaring at Ash furiously. "Don't you put your disgusting hands on him!!!"

Ash whipped around, with the knife extended in his hand. May struggled not to cry out as the knife pieced through her shoulder blade. Blood spurted at first, coating her hair and shoulders, and even her neck and upper back. It soon began to slow as a wide stream of blood trickled down the front and back of her shirt. She clutched it in agony, but still stared Ash down bravely.

Ash smirked. "You're gonna try and be a little hero now, aren't you?"

May turned to Jessie. "Take Max, Pikachu, and Meowth, and get out of here!"

Jessie was surprised. "But what about you? And where do we go???"

May shook her head. "Anywhere! Just get out of this place! Get outside and run for your lives! Don't worry about me. It's like Ash said. I'll be with Misty and Dawn soon."

Jessie began to say something, but kept her mouth shut. Meowth and Pikachu each leapt up on one of her shoulders, and she grabbed Max's hand, dashing down the stairs. Ash simply gazed at May. May refused to move, standing her ground.

"I don't want to have to fight you, Ash. I know that you're not doing this on purpose, but you have to stop! We just want to help you!"

Ash's smirk had disappeared by now into a lingering look of complete seriousness. "I don't want to fight either. But there are some things in life we can't prevent."

May's eyes began to fill with tears. "We spent so long worrying about you! Don't reject our help!"

There was a silence among the two children. Ash gazed into his knife, staring deep into the eyes of his reflection. May looked sadly at her wound, which was beginning to stain her hands and fingers with blood.

"Ash…Fighting won't help anything at this point. I don't see any reason to fight, so…"

May lied down on the ground, spreading her arms and legs as if she were waiting for an operation. She closed her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. "If killing me is what will make you stop, please do. But no more killing anyone. Just let it end with me."

Ash knelt down beside her. "You're not afraid to die?"

May shook her head, tears streaming down her face now. "If you kill me, you have to promise that you won't kill anyone else."

Ash raised the knife over her chest, poised to bring it straight down and end the girl's life. "May…"

May opened her eyes, filled with hope. But her stomach lurched painfully as the next sentence was the last she would ever hear.

"That's a promise I can't keep!" Ash yelled, bringing the knife straight down through her chest.


	5. Pleas Unanswered, Please Someone Answer

Max couldn't stop himself from looking back at the attic as Jessie tugged on his arm all the way down the stairs. She felt bad for the young boy, as he had to live with the fact that his sister was up there dying while they ran away. But Jessie refused to have someone's blood on her hands: May left Max in her care, and it would stay that way.

When they were almost at the bottom, Max stopped. As much as Jessie tugged, he wouldn't stop. He turned and began to race back up the stairs, but Jessie grabbed him by wrapping her arms around his waist, pulling him back down as he flailed his arms and legs. Tears poured down his cheeks.

"Let me go! Sis is hurting! What's wrong with you? Save my sister! Let me save her, then! We have to do SOMETHING!!!"

Jessie struggled to keep him still as Meowth and Pikachu jumped off of her shoulders. "Look kid, there's nothing we can do! She sacrified herself to save you and I! Don't let that go in vain! Now I have to save YOU, got it???"

At last, Max calmed down. Jessie released him from her embrace as he fell to his knees, sobbing. He buried his face in his hands. "S-Sis…I…I don't wanna be saved…n-no more of this…please…"

Pikachu felt a tear roll down its face as well. Not only did seeing a boy as young as Max suffer like this put it in emotional pain, it was awful holding the knowledge that Ash was the one causing the pain for him. For everybody.

* * *

Gary almost tripped several times as he dashed into the kitchen, dialing about seven numbers into the video phone and picking it up, holding the phone with his good arm. He muttered again and again under his breath "Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick UP…" He checked behind him every few seconds to make sure that Ash wasn't following.

At last, an optimistic boy appeared on the screen. "Gary! Haven't seen you in so-wait, what happened to your arm? And why do you look like you're going to be sick?"

Gary checked behind him again, his eyes filled with fear. "Tracey, listen! I need you to…I need you to tell Professor Oak and Delia that…there's a grave situation taking place in Sinnoh right now. Sinnoh…in Sandgem Town. It's mass murder here. LITERALLY."

Tracey's eyes shared Gary's fear. "What's going on? Can I talk to Misty or Brock?"

Gary felt a lump rise in his throat. "Misty…Misty's dead. And Brock…"

Gary turned the monitor towards Brock, whom James and Harley moved into the kitchen so as not to be left in the open. His body lied on the table, sprawled out as if awaiting an autopsy. His breathing was harsh, as if he were going to choke to death on oxygen alone. Tracey gasped audibly.

Gary gulped in fear, checking behind him once more. Tracey's hands were shaking on the phone. "A-and…what about Ash…?"

Gary forgot to check this time, and was greeted by someone's breath against his neck. Gary shivered painfully, trying to keep calm. However, he was having no luck. The cold words slivered into his ear.

"Do I need to mess up your other arm too, Oak?"

Gary did the first thing he could think of: he elbowed Ash harshly in his groin. Ash doubled over, shouting. "Son of a bitch! You die next, Oak! Shit, I can't piss straight for a week from that…"

Forgetting the seriousness of the situation, Tracey suppressed a giggle. But when Ash turned to the monitor and glared him straight in the eye, it was enough to make a chill run down Tracey's spine.

And from the comfort of Oak's lab, he sprang back in his chair as Ash's knife shattered the screen on his end, ending the contact with Gary for good. Ash's last words echoed in his head.

"Nice talking to you, Sketchit."

* * *

Racing up the stairs still didn't seem fast enough as Paul ran for his life. He felt as if the footsteps were pounding behind him constantly, and as if he couldn't even breath anymore without having a knife at someone's throat. He stumbled several times, but finally reached the attic: the only safe place in the whole building.

Or so it seemed.

Paul's stomach rejected everything he'd eaten for lunch, erupting it all over the wooden floor. Paul's eyes couldn't completely take in the sight of May's corpse, and he took in whatever he could.

Her hair was caked with dried blood, holding it together in clumps. Her eyes had rolled back in her head, only the disgusting shade of white showing. Her throat was miraculously untouched, but it seemed as if that was all. Paul felt horrified knowing that she had been ripped open while she was alive. Dried blood covered the wound on her shoulder blade, mixing with the fresh blood that still spurted.

In all this, her chest was most definitely the most nauseating spot to stare at. Her chest was cut wide open, flaps of skin every which way. Her arteries and veins seemed to be snapped in half like twigs, and the ends caked shut with blood, like rusty pipes. Looking further in, her lungs were untouched, but black from lack of oxygen.

But the most nauseating thing was the small cavity where her heart once beat innocently. It was gone, leaving only blood to drift over the place. If there had ever been a literal definition to the phrase "An empty feeling in my heart", it would be this.

His stomach churning, Paul felt dizzy enough to black out and not come to ever again. He sat down on the floor, towards the corner, and hugged his knees to his chest.

Was there any way out of this place?

* * *

Gary watched from his new hiding spot behind the recliner in the main room as Ash examined Brock's body. Brock gazed up at the boy, the whole room spinning, and his chest burning and stinging from the wound's exposure to fresh air. He groaned as Ash laid his hand over the wound.

"I know that of all of them, you tried to help the most. I know I should be grateful, but I only feel more suspicious…and more compelled to kill you."

Gary sighed, shivering. Even after everything they'd done, there'd be no way to save Brock?

Ash laughed for a moment, and Gary's shivering stopped. Even if he seemed to be taken over by pain and suffering, the laughter didn't sound forced. Gary was overtaken by newfound hope as the young boy's laugh rang throughout the room. If it weren't such a grave situation they were in, he might've laughed along.

But as soon as the laughter began, it stopped, and Ash's voice became cold and harsh once more. "At least you left me less work to do. Your suffering will be over soon."

Ash slowly lowered the knife onto Brock's wound. Brock moaned in pain as it gently pressed against his skin, breaking whatever was left slowly. Gary felt sick, and somehow, by the look on Ash's face, he could tell Ash himself was having more trouble killing Brock than anyone else so far.

But the sound of pacing footsteps drew Ash's attention. He looked up, since that seemed to be where they were coming from. Angrily, he clutched his knife and stormed up the stairs. Gary shivered as he passed the recliner. The look on his face seemed as if he were being interrupted about something important.

At last, Ash reached the top, and Gary heard shouting, but nothing else as his stomach churned in fear.

* * *

Paul didn't know what to say. Even if he did, he couldn't say anything as he stared in complete horror at Ash, who stood with a menacing look on his face.

Ash smirked. "Afraid much, oh rival of mine?"

Paul shuddered, desperately trying to think of what to do. Backing up until he hit the wall, he felt his fingertips touch glass. He eased the attic window open and counted to three. Just as he lunged out the window, he began to choke, and looked down, seeing himself dangle at least 20 feet above the ground. He desperately tried to look back at Ash as he gagged, but quickly figured out what happened.

The knife pinned Paul's shirt collar to the wall of the building, leaving him dangling high off of the ground. One wrong move meant instant death, either from falling or from being strangled. His oxygen was slowly fading every second. He choked trying to get words out.

"A-Ash…why…"

Ash ignored him, bending over…and pulling the knife out.

Paul screamed as he fell at least a story, landing on his head, which spurted blood. It seemed as if his head had exploded on impact, the harsh pressure of the ground and the raw effects of gravity taking their toll.

And in the last moments of his life, he saw Ash jump down. He'd expected Ash to land on his feet, but not what did happen.

Which would be his fall being broken by the knife landing cleanly in Paul's chest.

* * *

The last few hours had been nothing but torture, and for Max, this was no exception. The feeling of death creeping up on him startled Max at every turn. And hearing Drew's news didn't help anything.

"Guys, I…I looked out the window in the attic, and…Paul's…well…he's partying with the angels now."

Jessie put her hands over her mouth, suppressing a gasp as tears spurted down her face. Max felt ready to scream, He jumped up, feeling safer since Ash was nowhere in sight for now.

"I can't take this anymore! We have to do something, we have to end this!"

James, who'd been holding Meowth in his arms, sighed. "Actually…I've been tossing an idea in my head around for a while."

Harley tilted his head. "Yeah, we could use anything at this point. As crazy as it is spit it out."

"Well…" James began as everyone listened intently.

"We lock him inside…get outside…and burn the place to the ground."


	6. Matter Over Mind

Everyone in the room froze. Gary mustered out enough words to break the silence. "You…you want to…burn the place???"

James nodded. "It's the only way I can think of, really. I…I feel weird about it too. But if we can get everyone out, we can leave Ash inside and…well…"

Harley started to reply, but quickly changed his question after he realized something, glancing back into the kitchen at the near-lifeless man on the table. "But…what about Brock?"

James shook his head sadly. "Even if we had all the time in the world, he's in too bad of a condition to get out. We can still stay and pray that help comes, but…Ash won't give us long. He'll be done with Paul any second and coming after the rest of us."

Max sat down and felt tears well up in his eyes. "It's not fair! First Dawn, then Misty, then Sis, and now Paul…and Brock's probably going down next!" Max started to cry.

Pikachu jumped off of Jessie's shoulder and quietly slid itself into Max's arms, patting his cheek gently and reassuringly. Jessie felt like crying as well. She glanced over at Harley, James, and Drew, who were currently working on replacing the fallen door from earlier into the door frame in the main room. Meanwhile, Jessie's thoughts gave her a rather large headache, and she wandered into the kitchen, trying hard not to gaze at Brock's near-lifeless figure.

Looking over at the stove, she saw that someone had made something to eat. By the looks of the portion servings, probably dinner. She placed one hand on top of one of the pots. Still warm, still good enough to eat. She glanced over at Brock again before making a decision, relieved to see soup in one of the pots. She took a bowl down from the cabinet, along with a spoon, and gently poured some soup into the bowl. Being so careful as to not spill a drop, she made her way over to Brock. Setting the soup down, she looked worriedly at him.

"Hey, twerp. Your name's…Brock, right?"

Brock managed to open his eyes a little. The blurry figure swam with the light in front of him. "J-Jessie…?"

Jessie felt a tiny smile creep onto her face. "Yeah, it's Jessie. Are…are you going to be okay?"

Brock looked down at the gaping wound in his chest, the bleeding now slowing. "I…I don't know." He began to cough until Jessie saw blood splatter onto the table. She pushed the bowl of soup towards him. "Brock, drink this. Or eat it. Whatever you do with it, just get it into your system. You're in bad shape."

Brock looked at the girl sincerely. "Th…Thank you…"

Jessie couldn't watch this anymore. She walked briskly back into the main room, where the door was finally in place and able to lock. This time it seemed to have been reinforced to keep Ash from knocking it down again.

Once Drew finished checking to see if it locked, he turned to the group of everyone who had made it thus far. "Alright, so here's what we're gonna do…"

Out of what felt like nervous instinct, Ash opened the jewelry box. Although it seemed like years and years ago, in reality everything had happened in only the course of about three days. He looked up at the night sky as his hand rested on the box. It had to be at least three in the morning around now. He was tired; he felt like he would fall asleep any second. But he knew what consequences came with that. He wasn't afraid of Reflection anymore, because he knew that at his hands, Reflection was just as weak and helpless as his friends.

Now everything wasn't so simple because of this. He remembered in his nightmares how powerful Reflection was. And he'd determined that someone was holding back MAJORLY on him. He'd assumed different people several times. The most likely candidates were either Paul or Gary. He'd made quick work of Paul, being especially careful with his heart, since there was a high probability Reflection lurked within it.

Reminding himself of opening the box, he glanced down into it. Four hearts, all of them black at this point. Dawn's was the first to come. She seemed so innocent at first, but then those voices racked Ash's mind. His nightmares, the voices, everything pointed to Dawn being the source of Ash's torment. He'd had no choice on that one, and killed her.

He looked at the next one. Misty's was next. He'd originally gone after Harley, but Misty had gotten in the way. That had been her own fault: he'd had no quarrel with her. He'd get Harley eventually as well, but Misty was more of a bonus.

He glanced at the third heart in the box. May. She'd died defending her brother. She'd given herself up to save him. This only made Ash more suspicious of Max, but…May still seemed odd enough, surrendering herself without a fight. She even allowed Ash to rip her open while she was still alive. Ash had betrayed her trust, broken his promise. Somewhere, May's angel was staring at him with either utter hatred, deep sadness, or neither.

And then the last heart. He glanced at the body of his most recent victim: Paul. He'd tried to escape, and all he seemed to care about was himself. Ash smirked. People like him were just asking for it.

He closed the box reluctantly, relocking it with the tiny key. Once he slipped the key back into his pocket, he set the box back in his backpack as well. His eyes were heavy and he didn't feel like fighting at the moment. He felt rather…content. For the first time in hours, he felt at peace with himself. He yawned, stretching. Reflection didn't scare him anymore, but he knew Reflection had to die, to burn in the flames of hell, the same ones he'd put Ash in.

Ash finally let his eyes close, resting his head against the soft, blood-stained grass.

As usual, when his subconscious awoke, it was dark, with not a trace of light coming from anywhere. But what he did see was blood. Lots of it. Leaving a trail up to somewhere. As he got further and further, the faint blood got more and more thick, like a stream. He kept following it, faint butterfrees spreading their delicate wings in his stomach. As he kept going, he saw the blood mixing with tears. Tears enough to fill an entire river, it seemed. Then all at once, they stopped. The blood and tears trail ended, but he did hear someone crying. A faint voice, vaguely familiar. It sounded like someone talking telepathically: a very difficult voice to make out. Ash kept walking as the voice got gradually louder. "Help…please help me…someone…anyone!"

Ash felt himself gradually pick up the pace. He didn't know why, but he felt the butterfrees starting to flutter their wings now. That voice, what it said…it was starting to tug at his heartstrings for unknown reasons.

"Why would you do this? I trusted you! I trusted you with my life and you threw it away!"

He broke into a run. The voice seemed to echo all around him.

"WHY??? What's wrong with you??? I've been worried sick about you for days! I want to help, you don't need to do this!"

The butterflies raged inside of him.

"Don't kill me, please!!! I'm not a demon! I'm not him! I'm not who you think I am, Ash!"

At the mention of his name, he began to sprint.

"Please, no! Oh God, no!!! You're not Ash, you-"

And then the voices stopped, as did Ash. He edged ever closer forward, and was horribly revolted at what he saw next. He threw up onto the pitch-black ground and felt tears shove violently out of his eyes.

Reflection was there, smirking, a bloody knife in his hand. He was laughing. And beside his feet…

Lie Pikachu's lifeless, blood-spurting body.

Drew edged around the back of the abandoned place. Trying his best to keep Paul's body out of his eye's line of sight, he fixated them on Ash. Ash was sleeping, but tossing and turning, tears rushing out of his eyes. Gary followed behind Drew, and seeing Ash, sighed. He walked carefully over to Ash so as not to wake him. Drew whispered harshly.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing???"

Gary held a finger to his lips. "It's okay. When Ash and I were little, whenever one of us had nightmares, the other would always do something to make it go away. Even though he's older, it usually works. Sometimes when I'm staying with the group for a while, he has nightmares, and the trick usually helps. I don't know if it'll help with the kind he's been having lately, but…it's worth a shot.

Drew looked at his feet. "You're fucking crazy. You do realize that if he wakes up…"

Gary gazed softly at Ash, who lie there with tears streaming down his face, locked in an inescapable nightmare. Gary gently patted Ash's shoulder. "He's still a human being. He's the victim here, not us. I mean, would the Ash you know ever even dream of doing the things he's been doing?"

Drew clenched his fist. "If it doesn't work and he does wake up, though…let me kill him. Take the knife out of his pocket just in case."

Gary sighed, slowly sliding his hand into Ash's pocket and drawing out the knife. He tossed it, and Drew bent over to pick it up as it clattered at his feet.

Meanwhile, Gary lied down next to Ash, gently stroking his fingertips. "It's okay," he whispered softly. "Nothing's going to hurt you, Ash."

Drew groaned. "You honestly think that'll work?"

Gary ignored him, now stroking Ash's arm with the tips of his fingers. "It'll be alright. Everything will work itself out now."

Drew sighed. "Fuck this. Just let me stab him already."

Reflection smirked as Ash cried. "So you're actually starting to think you're stronger than me? That's just pitiful. I may have to stop holding back and full on torture you in my own little slice of hell."

Ash looked up from his tears, speechless as Reflection continued. "Now are you going to be a good boy and do what I tell you to, or am I going to have to force you to my bidding?"

Ash felt rage burn inside of him. "You…you heartless monster…look what you've done to my friends! You filthy, disgusting, son of a bitch!!! Fuck you, I've HAD IT!!! DON'T EVER LAY YOUR HANDS ON MY POKEMON!!!"

Without another thought, Ash lunged forward, his fist outstretched, seconds from hitting Reflection full on in the face. But at the last second, Reflection disappeared into thin air, causing Ash to stumble before losing his balance and landing hard on his face. He sat up, ignoring the pain. He gasped loudly as he felt something slide into his back. It wasn't painful, but still made him shiver in terrified fury. A voice rang harshly through his head.

"So you won't do as I say. Very well, you've brought this upon yourself. But look at it this way. It's better for both of us like this. You just get to sit back and enjoy the show, held prisoner in your own mind and body…and let me do all the dirty work."

Ash tried to scream, but nothing came out. He found himself lifted and pressed to an invisible wall. Whatever was holding him pushed him harder and harder, threatening to crush his lungs with the pressure. He felt like he needed to gasp for air. His chest was tight, and he couldn't move. In the time it took him to blink, he found himself chained against the wall, binding his wrists and ankles to the wall. He couldn't even struggle at this point, and hung his head, tears dripping out of his eyes as he fell into despair.

Reflection's voice drove him mad with hopelessness. "There. Front row seats, don't you think, you foolish boy? Now just sit back and relax. It's inevitable: they WILL all die by my hand. And once they're through with, I'll save you for last."

Ash's tears landed softly in a crystal clear puddle on the cold ground. "P-Pikachu…please, no…and everyone else…Reflection, w-why would you…"

Ash heard Reflection sigh. "The only problem being is that I tried to warn you in an earlier nightmare about a certain outcome that could become possible if certain actions are neglected to be put into effect, by either side. If something somehow goes wrong…"

There was a pause before he continued. "Then three will escape my grasp."

Drew gasped, pulling Gary back behind the tree as Ash's eyelids twitched before fluttering open. He looked around before standing up and stretching. Gary squinted. His voice still sounded the same, but there was something about his eyes that made him nervous. Ash's eyes seemed glassy, glazed over in a way. He didn't seem himself.

Drew clutched the knife with agonizing fury. He counted to three mentally before leaping out into the clearing. Gary tried to grab his arm, but it was too late. "DREW! DON'T!!!"

Any way you say it couldn't compare to what Gary saw next. Although Drew was convinced he had the upper hand, considering he was the one holding the knife, Ash's arm shot out, and Drew landed right in his grasp. Ash's fingernails dug deep into Drew neck, and he lifted Drew about a foot or two off the ground as his fingernails sank deeper, now drawing blood.

Drew gagged and flailed his arms and legs, desperate for oxygen. He stabbed wildly at Ash again and again, but could only reach as far as Ash's wrist, and even from there could hardly leave much more than rips in his black glove and scratches on his tough skin. Ash's other hand was relentless, and sunk his fingernails deeper and deeper until it seemed like Drew's head would pop right off like a toy.

Gary was horrified watching this, and summoned all his courage before leaping out into the clearing as well. He leapt onto Ash's back, pulling and yanking on his raven hair in an effort to get him to release his hold on Drew. But Ash merely threw his elbow behind him, nailing Gary hard in the ribs. Gary, having only the support of one arm, fell like an insect that had been swatted down. He watched in horror as Ash finished off Drew, his fingernails sinking to the point where his fingers were halfway inside Drew's neck, and probably had already hit his veins and blood vessels. Drew now hung there limply, stopping his struggling at last and succumbing to the bitter taste of death.

With no choice left and no time to explain anything, Gary stumbled blindly through the clearing and around to the front of the house, his eyesight swimming in the tears that drifted around his pupils. He took one last look back to see Ash lowering Drew to the ground, slowly sliding the knife out of his hand, and using both hands to drive it deep into his chest.


	7. Ash's Ashes, We All Go Down

"G-GUYS!" Gary shouted, bursting in through the newly set door. "W-We gotta go now! He just got Drew, and…"

Harley's eyes went wide. "Another one? Oh no, Drew…" He whipped around to James. "We gotta do it now."

James looked surprised for a moment, but quickly composed himself. "But…Brock. If we move him, he'll die faster and slower. If we don't move him, either Ash will get to him first…or he'll burn to death."

Gary shook his head. "There's nothing we can do. Brock's bad enough as it is. Just put him out of his misery. Ash will be here any minute."

"Speak of the devil," Max said, looking out the window at the possessed boy barreling towards the building, knife extended in his hand as if he were going to stab the wall. "There's no time! We gotta go!"

James sighed with regret, gazing at Brock, who's eyes were closed, body racked with excruciating pain as the wound was beginning to become infected, even changing color. Taking a deep breath, he let it out of his mind, ignoring the fact that Brock was currently rotting alive. "Everyone get out now! Take the back door, and hurry!"

Jessie grabbed Max's hand, pulling him along as Meowth and Pikachu dashed behind them. Gary and Harley took one last look back at Brock before pressing on. Gary waited for James until he reached the door. Gary kept running as James reached into his pocket, drawing a box of matches.

Just as Ash rushed into the room, the door slamming behind him, he heard it click. Someone outside had locked him in. And looking towards James, he barely had time to see James running away, that door locking as well, with the match spiraling towards the floor before setting the carpet ablaze.

"Keep going!" Jessie shouted, tugging Max harder and harder. Pikachu and Meowth struggled to keep up with her. When at last they had put safe distance between them and the flames, Max sat down, taking deep breaths in exhaustion from running. Jessie saw the worry in Pikachu's eyes as it gazed up at her.

"Hey, what'd I say about looking at me like that? Don't do it. You're making my heart hurt like that."

Pikachu looked away, back towards the flames. Jessie motioned for Meowth to come by her as she knelt down.

"Listen to me, and listen up good," she whispered. "Pikachu doesn't know just why we had to set that place on fire, let alone who's inside it. It didn't see anything, and thinks the twerp is fine."

Meowth was shocked. "If he dies, you'll have to say something sooner or later, Jess!"

Jessie shook her head. "No, keep it a secret! Pikachu can't know that! It would hurt forever! Do you know what that's like, to give up on someone you tried so hard to save?"

Meowth tilted its head. "How would you know that?"

Jessie paused, trying to keep the tears back. "Brock…I wanted to save him, but we had to leave him there, and no matter what, he's dead. There's no way out, Brock is dead."

Meowth placed one hand on Jessie's shoulder. "Man…I know it's hard, Jess, but you gotta let it go. You and I both know that."

Jessie wiped her eyes. "I know, I know, but still…"

The raven-haired boy flailed against the chains binding him into his own mind. "Let me go! Look at everything you've caused! And now because of you, you'll burn to death! This isn't a game, this is reality!"

Reflection shot Ash a disgusting look, smirking all the while. "If you would've accepted that fact earlier, maybe you would've been able to save some of those idiots."

Ash felt a tear run down his face. "You're despicable and a monster!"

Reflection merely smiled. "Thank you, boy. Now if you don't mind, I'd rather not kill you yet."

Ash, or shall I say Reflection, skillfully and somewhat gracefully managed to avoid the flames crashing in all around him. At last, he'd found the stairs to the attic and the only escape, seemingly untouched by the fire. He began to rush up the stairs, but stopped at about the fifth step.

Ash's heart sped up. "You can't…"

Reflection glanced back towards the kitchen table, smirking at what he saw.

Ash's heart pounded against his chest. "NO! HE'S NOT DEAD! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

Reflection glared at him, a glare that sent chills racing down his spine. "Shut up. It's not like you're in control. You haven't even enough willpower to look at me without tears joining you."

Ash started to cry, but he couldn't help it at this point. He struggled against the chains. "Even if you tried, this is suicide at this point! There's no way you can go back there and get him in time and still save yourself!"

Reflection simply ignored Ash and ran as fast as he could into the kitchen, leaping over the flames as quickly and skillfully as he had the last time, not singeing a single part of himself or even his clothes. He pulled the knife from his pocket as he neared the kitchen, which seemed relatively free of flames and untouched as of yet.

Meanwhile, Ash was frantic. "Okay, are you out of your mind? First of all, if you do this we'll be stuck in here and get KILLED! Secondly, you can't touch him! I won't let you, let him die peacefully, you asshole!"

Reflection groaned. "Do you EVER shut your mouth, you dumbass kid?"

In his own frustration, Ash struggled against the chains. "Bullshit! I fight for the people I love and care about, and you…I don't even know who you are! But I'm fucking done with crying, and I'm ready to kick your ass for good!"

Reflection couldn't hold back a laugh, sliding the knife back into his pocket for now. "I guess the other guy can wait. It's not like the fire is anywhere close to the damn kitchen by now."

Ash snarled. This was starting to piss him off beyond belief, and he'd be dammed if the chains wouldn't break sooner or later.

"I swear to God, if you lay a finger on that innocent man I will tear you limb from limb."

Reflection was equally as frustrated with his own reflection now. He whirled around, holding the bound child at knifepoint, but was surprised to see a lack of intimidation in his eyes. Even so, he pressed on with his threat.

"Now look, do you want to live or not?"

Ash was beyond angry now, and spat in Reflection's face. The two stared at each other in complete fury and determination to destroy one another, neither saying a word.

Ash lowered his head and gazed at his feet. "It's fear you feed off of. I get it now. You feed off my screaming every time you take someone else's heart, you feed off my pain whenever I cry, you feed off me seeing everyone I love die in front of me."

Reflection gently raised his head with the tip of the knife under his chin, bringing them both to eye level with one another. "You better listen, you fucking idiot. You stupid kid, you don't get it, do you? Who's the one with the knife here? Who's the one with the other bound to a wall in chains? Who's the one with control over the other's mind?"

Ash couldn't respond at all to that statement: it was completely true. Reflection smirked and turned away, controlling his body once more.

But it wasn't completely in vain: Ash could feel the links on the chains beginning to crack.

Brock looked up from his final resting place on the table, coughing desperately, trying to get the smoke out of his lungs. His eyes were closed and probably would never open again, but he could feel someone breathing next to him.

He turned his head towards the sound. "A-Ash…?"

Ash gently placed his hand on Brock's head, drawing the knife with the other. "I'm sorry. At least, I should be."

Brock turned his head and coughed blood onto the table. "It's so hot in here…what's…what's going on?"

Ash smirked. "Why do you even need to care any more to begin with?"

Brock brought one hand to his wound. "Wait…what?"

Ash brought the knife straight down, but his smirk turned to a grimace when it landed in the table instead.

Brock took what little strength and time he had left to stand up, swaying back and forth in dizziness. He opened his eyes barely enough to see himself surrounded by flames, with a maniacal child in front of him holding a bloodied knife.

Brock brought one hand to his head in pain. "I'm…I'm in hell…"

Ash couldn't help but laugh. "You think THIS is hell? Seriously? We haven't even gotten STARTED yet!"

The sound of carpet burning floated through the air. Ash smirked that devilish smirk once more.

"You've still got some fight in you, I presume?"

Brock struggled to keep his balance. "Not much…but I won't let you get to the others. You're not Ash anymore, you're not my best friend anymore. You're…you're a demon now. Some sort of demon…almost like…a reflection of him."

Ash pulled his cap down over his eyes. "You hit the nail on the head, kid."

Brock took several steps back, only to singe the hem of his pants before yanking his leg back in surprise. Ash flicked drops of blood off the knife with the tips of his fingers.

"You know, I wanna see exactly how fast I can make this kill. The clock's ticking: You're dying in front of me already, the flames are spreading all over, and soon, I won't have an exit. So here's the crossroads, Brock: Do I make a clean getaway and leave you for dead, or do I take your heart and add it to the collection?"

Brock's eyes widened. "…Collection…?"

Ash didn't say anything else, he just lunged. And this time, Brock was too afraid to move.

James and Harley looked back, watching in horror as the building finally collapsed in on itself at last. The flames engulfed the wood on it at last, and just as the ashes drifted through the air, the next few moments were definitely beyond unexpected.

Several cars pulled up to the scene, two of them being police cars.

Some of the rubble began to shift.

Two police officers emerged from the cars, armed with tasers.

A hand reached out from the rubble, grasping for something.

A woman with light brown hair and a pale complexion emerged from the car.

A raven-haired boy in a cap emerged from the remains of the house, standing up, clutching a dripping knife in one hand.

"Ash Ketchum, what are you doing?" The woman cried out.

"It's almost over at last," the boy whispered to himself, holding a bloodied and mutilated heart high in the air.


	8. Violet Mist And Violent Midst

Dumbass.

Idiot.

Stupid kid.

The only things keeping him going were the echoes in his mind of rage, of everything this demon had ever said to him.

Stubborn.

Foolish.

Moron.

He pushed and tugged at the slowly crumbling chains, a mixture of maniacal laughter and painful insults hurtling into his ears.

This was it, all or nothing.

Idiot.

Idiot!

IDIOT!

And like pieces of string, the chains snapped right in two silently, leaving him standing dazed and confused, the shackles bound to his wrists.

He never would've imagined it like this.

A fight to the death with a murderous spirit…inside his own mind.

Ash reached into his pocket, clenching the knife tightly.

"Reflection, you asshole."

Reflection, who was staring at the swirling images of Ash's vision, turned away from that perspective for a moment to gaze into Ash's eyes. When he saw the missing chains, he was neither angry nor afraid. He seemed rather…impressed.

"You must really love your friends."

Ash held the knife in front of him like a sword. "You wouldn't know. You wouldn't understand love, or pain, or fear…anything I've gone through in the last several days."

Reflection put his hands on his hips, shaking his head. "You're definitely my most interesting meal in a while. You put up quite a fight."

Ash grimaced, not dropping his guard. "It's time you tell me everything. Tell me before we finally end this."

Reflection chuckled and sat on the ground.

"Tell me boy, have you ever heard of Turnback Cave?"

Ash nodded solemnly, his knife still up just in case.

Reflection smirked his devilish smile. "Years and years ago, when I was just your age, I wandered in with some of my friends. I used to have friends, and feelings, and everything you claim I don't. It all started with a dare."

Ash took a few steps back. "This story…Dawn told it to me once…"

Reflection paused. "It is a rumor, a myth. Or so people think. The tale goes around to keep children as far from Turnback Cave as possible."

He looked up. "I was foolish, naïve, didn't know what I was getting myself into. The fog was thick in the cave, and the writing on the signs was faded and confusing. My friends split up to play hide and seek, not knowing the risks."

He paused again and sighed, and Ash could swear he saw regret in Reflection's eyes. Ash shook his head. This man was a murderer with no soul. It was all a trap to lower Ash's guard.

"I wandered. I wandered until I ran into it. The one you know as…Giratina. It glared at me with the most diabolical red eyes you've ever seen. Eyes that made me tremble and made me unable to move. I couldn't feel anything. Then it threw at me the most gruesome attack of all: Dark Void."

Ash shook his head. "Don't start that. I've been under Dark Void several times, and it's not gruesome, it just give you nightma-"

Reflection's eyes grew wide, and he pulled a dagger from his pocket, flinging it at Ash. The dagger narrowly missed Ash's eyes, deeply cutting his cheek. "SHUT UP!"

Ash let his fingertips brush the wound, and the two were silent for a moment. Reflection's voice was harsh and lined with rage. "Child, you have not seen true terror, have not felt true terror like I had in the past! Giratina made me relive it, it made me scream in my sleep, tossing and turning and sobbing in a fit of agony and horror."

"It gave me images, images that would soon be true. My friends, killed before my eyes. My family, my neighbors, everyone I held dear to me would be torn away and destroyed, annihilated."

Ash gently returned the knife to his pocket, but kept his fingertips on the handle.

"And then it did the two worst things I could imagine: It destroyed my body and my emotions."

Ash took several more steps back.

"I am not dead, but merely a spirit. Giratina destroyed my form. Giratina left me alone for dead, and I could not sleep, or eat, or breathe. I had no form at all, I was a shallow, gas-like mass of matter. A violet mist."

Ash looked at his feet, trying his best to keep all signs of pity off his face. "T-That's doesn't mean anything you've done is right! And why would you expect me to believe any of this anyway?"

Reflection shook his head. "Leaving me with no form left my mind in the Dark Void state I'd been in so long ago. That is why I am so influential, why I can control people: I am nothing more than a sadistic violet mist with a will and a mind. Everyone else will suffer, they will see the pain that the world can inflict upon you."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "I have two more questions before we end this."

Reflection stood up, nodding, both drawing their knives.

"First, what happens outside of this realm."

Reflection smirked. "I wondered how long it would be before you asked me that. Hours and days in your mind become seconds and minutes out there. Your mind moves slowly, processing so much in such a small amount of time. You are intelligent, moreso than you look. That is why it doesn't happen to everyone. You have willpower, intensive willpower. If you were anyone else, you'd probably have been driven mad days ago by this torture."

Ash nodded. "So willpower slows down time somehow?"

"Only in your mind. The mind works in twisted ways that humans don't seem to understand."

"And second…why do you keep going out there when you're really in here."

"Simple. I've diseased your mind so horribly and gruesomely that it responds to my will alone, does what I'd do out there. It knows, and it would take intensive willpower to stop any of this. Willpower and bravery."

Ash raised his knife, pointing it at Reflection.

"And why is that?"

Reflection's maniacal look overtook him as he lunged at Ash with his knife.

"In order to stop me now, you must kill us BOTH!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~

"J-Jessie, slow down! I can't run any further!"

Jessie, Max, Pikachu and Meowth hid behind a tree, Jessie gripping Max's small hand tightly with fear. Max's eyes watered.

"I don't want to run anymore! I want Sis!"

Pikachu leapt onto the sobbing boy's shoulder, gently brushing his tears away as they fell, resisting the urge to cry itself. "Pikapi…"

Jessie peered out from behind the tree. "Where'd that little brat go?"

Meowth crawled onto Jessie's head. "Shouldn't our main priority be to find James and get out of here?"

Jessie shook her head. "I can't leave them."

Meowth looked down on the girl. "Who's them?"

Jessie motioned towards Max and Pikachu, trying desperately to comfort one another. "If I leave both of them, they're as good as dead. Pikachu may be strong, but not against Ash. And Max is too scarred by losing May."

Meowth jumped back onto the ground. "Jess…we need to find James. We'll find James and take these two with us to Oreburgh, or we'll hide somewhere, or-"

Jessie shook her head. "It's not that simple. It's not just James, it's all of them. Harley, and Gary, and…even Ash." She felt tears coming.

Meowth's expression softened. "Jess…"

Jessie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "If I lose anyone else, I'm gonna kill myself. I can't do this anymore, I wanna go back to how it used to be!"

Meowth didn't know how to respond to a threat of suicide, especially from someone as cunning yet sweet as Jessie. He shook his head and patted hers. "Look, we're fucking Team Rocket. We'll get through this together, just like everything else. It's all gonna be alright soon. I promise." With that, they continued their walk with no destination.

~~~~~~  
"Don't move! We're well-armed!"

"Don't say shit like that to my son!"

"Sorry ma'am, but this is a dangerous situation!"

Ash looked around at the group of people who were staring at him with sorrow and disdain. He reached down and patted the knife in his pocket, as though checking to see if it was there should he need it. He smirked. "Well, well, well. Look, I've got myself a welcoming party now. Such a mess, this is. If only we could all go back in time to clean up." One officer lowered his gun slightly, but a whispered scolding from the officer next to him brought the man back to attention, aiming precisely between Ash's eyes. Delia's eyes went wide. "Y-You're not my son! You can't be!" Ash smiled maliciously, stirring up a small cloud of dust and ashes between his feet with a simple nudge of his foot. "Ah, hello, mom. I've missed you so much." Delia stormed up to the boy, hand raised as though about to slap him across the face, and yet, as soon as she'd raised it, Ash firmly clasped her wrist, holding her with a vice grip that could snap it at any second. Delia screamed in agony as the boy began to twist her arm to impossible dimensions, sickening cracks and snaps clearly audible at the moment. Cops swarmed in around her, trying to find a clear shot radius with which to take aim at Ash and only Ash. Ash noticed his growing crowd and released Delia, leaving her arm broken and crippled. She sobbed in pain, and as the officers took aim, Ash simply took several steps back and vanished, disintegrating into thin air.

Almost like…mist.

~~~~~~~~~

The clanging of bloodstained metal to bloodstained metal rang piercingly loud in Ash's ears as he swung his knife with every ounce of strength he could pour into his hands. Time and time again he swung, but time and time again Reflection blocked his every move. He'd sooner kill himself than give up, but would he have to in the end anyway?

Reflection wore a sadistic smirk as he closed in for another block. "While we give ourselves a good workout, would you like me to explain another something to you, young one?" Ash grimaced, pulling back to take another shot at getting a swing past him. "I've got nothing much to lose, at this point. Shoot." Another well-timed block from Reflection. He held up two fingers, wielding the knife expertly with just one hand. "There are two of you right now, your conscious and your subconscious. Your conscious is being controlled by me, and that's what's wreaking havoc out there, and your subconscious is what's in here, going through hell and high water to try to stop me."

Another failed swing from Ash. "Yeah, what of it? I knew that already, for the most part." Reflection couldn't hold back an eager smile as he blocked once more, advancing on the boy. "You guard well. Even though you can't hit me, you leave me little opening to try to attack you, and even then you fill it with offense."

Ash smirked, easing into the fighting pattern and doing what came naturally. "It's like I always tell myself, offense is the best defense. Now as you were saying?"

"I've screwed with your head pretty badly by now, you should know that, and now the disease in your mind is coursing through your veins and seeping into your DNA. You're becoming me, and I'm becoming you. If this continues for much longer, I'll have the strength from your misery to overtake you completely. Don't even think of trying to wipe yourself clean of your sadness and pain: once you get it, it becomes deep-seated and irremovable." Ash was beginning to get distracted by Reflection's words, and almost messed up his pattern by nearly stumbling in a lunge. His heartbeat quickened. "How long do I have?"

"I'd go with about three hours at the most, and time is running out. You'll have to think fast, and I'll admit, this is quite an enjoyable game we've got going on here. I can't wait to see how it ends, or what your next move will be." Ash tensed for another lunge. "I'll never lose to you, and I'll win this, even if I have to drag you to your knees to win!" Reflection smirked, preparing another block. "I wonder if you can keep that promise, my friend, I wonder…"

~~~~~~~~~~~

A hazy mist swirled around the group, and it was everything but comforting. Max, Pikachu, Jessie and Meowth huddled closer together, unsure of what actions to take, or how fast they had to run to get away from it. It had come on suddenly, and was giving the four chills. The mist clumped together, as if it were hiding a shadow behind it, and slithered away into nothingness with a gust of wind, revealing Ash's figure behind it. Max felt Pikachu tense in his arms. It looked at the figure with not joy, not sadness, not even sympathy. Just a blank look, expressionless, as though the mere sight of him was so disturbing that it left the small Pokemon speechless. Max, Jessie and Meowth, meanwhile, were nothing but terrified. This had become a nightmare come true, at this point, and the three didn't speak. Ash spoke at last, a deep, menacing voice that carried on it certain death for the group.

"You've all done well to make it this far into the game. I'm quite impressed. I wonder who will go down next, though, as I'm positive none of you have the guts, nor the abilities, to fight me. So who wants to die?" A silence swept over the group. Ash smirked, fingering the blade of his knife and drawing a single drop of blackened blood from his fingertip, letting it drip onto the blade and coat it as if it were poison. "It doesn't matter. You're all going to die anyway, so you're not going to miss out on anything at all." At these words, Pikachu unexpectedly squirmed its way out of Max's shivering arms and leapt in front of the group, sparking defensively with its ears back, an unmistakable will to fight in its eyes. Ash seemed impressed, if not just as surprised as the rest of the group at this turn of events. Nevertheless, Ash pointed the knife at Pikachu in a stance that was neither offensive nor defensive: a stance that just seemed like it wanted to spectate and see the outcome.

~~

From the subconscious, Ash saw everything. He immediately dropped his defensive stance, filled to the brim with dread. Ash within the subconscious and the group from without cringed in horror and sickening dread as Reflection delivered an unnerving sentence of hostility, not so unlike him, and a foreboding realization that he would not, and could not, go easy on the poorly chosen victim.

"You wanna play, huh? Then let's play."


	9. Hazy Soul, Sepia Body, Vengeful Hearts

A powerful thunderbolt, well concentrated and predestined to fly, flung itself from Pikachu to Ash sooner than any normal human would've had the time to react, but as we well know, Reflection had morphed Ash into anything but. Without breaking a sweat, he sidestepped at an almost impossible speed, twirling his knife in one hand and snickering at the feeble attempt to put a scratch on him. Meowth and Jessie's jaws dropped at the impossible becoming possible, but Max and Pikachu didn't flinch. Ash's maniacal, bloodthirsty gaze returned to him, and he licked the knife's blade, slicing his tongue and coating the knife in his blackened blood once more. Pikachu cringed, battling nausea and tears at the sight of its trainer in such a state. Ash took the opportunity to attack, again utilizing his newfound DNA alterations and closing in on Pikachu so quickly that Pikachu didn't even have time to recognize the nature of the close combat attack about to be delivered upon it. With one swift movement, Ash brought his raised leg crashing down onto the tiny Pokemon's skull, causing it to cry out shrilly in immense pain, blood streaming from its ears. It sparked defensively, looking up at Ash with weakness and repressed love, longing for its rightful master to return. Ash merely grimaced and dealt another swift kick across Pikachu's cheek, sending it hurtling into a nearby tree face-first.

Unable to stand, the blood from the concussion and cracking of its skull was too much to bear, and it began to feebly cough blood onto the ground, sobbing and vomiting in pain and utter disgust at what Ash had become. Ash's kick had severely and possibly permanently damaged Pikachu's right electrical pouch underneath its reddened cheek, making it impossible to spark, as the strain produced from trying to generate electricity on only one side was too great a pain to withstand in addition to the nauseating trauma it was enduring at the moment.

Ash trudged over to it triumphantly, kneeling beside it and glaring menacingly. Max sobbed, trying to run after the mortally wounded Pokemon, but Jessie held his shoulders tightly, weeping as well at the sight, her tears sliding down her face onto Max's soft raven hair. Meowth had long since turned away from the scene, but even his shoulders shook with repressed sobs and cries. Ash fingered the puddle of blood on the ground, taking some onto the tip of his finger and licking it, the black blood still gushing from his tongue.

"Do you honestly think you have what it could take to bring your master back to you? I've doubted it from the start. You're pathetic, and you've more than ceased to amuse me."

Pikachu tried to stand once more, but collapsed back into its own pile of blood and vomit. Ash shook his head.

"You miserable thing. It's a cruel world, allow me to put you out of your misery."

With the little Pokemon still breathing and fully conscious, Ash began to make incisions on the small Pokemon's chest. Pikachu began to cry out weakly in pain, saying something under its breath as it struggled to control its breathing in the face of the searing pain being inflicted on it. The others watched helplessly and powerlessly, eyes blinded by tears. Meowth cringed the most, but had long since stopped crying.

"Hey. Ash, Demon, whatever you want me to call you."

Ash responded without stopping his cuts and slices, continuing whilst paying no heed to the pained cries of the Pokemon he was dissecting. "Ah, so it speaks. If you're going to play the hero and try to stop me, I will see to it that you die a miserable and slow death, even worse than this one."

Meowth stood firm, his voice unwavering. "What you're doing isn't right, but I'm positive you know that for a fact. So I want to tell you a little something about that Pokemon you're currently tearing apart."

"Shoot, then." "You should know that Ash and it are different than most. Even if you kill one, the bond between them won't cease. That's what that Pokemon's trying to tell you." Ash smirked, but continued his cuts. "What else is it saying I should know about?"

"It says that no matter what you do to it, it will endure it all for Ash's sake, and as long as he's still fighting, wherever he is, he'll be able to save himself, at least. It also says that if enduring the pain you're giving to it will help Ash in any way, it's well worth enduring." Pikachu's cries had ceased, as it had passed out from the immense pain.

Ash's expression changed to one of less amusement, but he continued his cuts. By now he was able to see the Pokemon's faintly beating heart residing within. Jessie released Max and began to throw up. Max's eyes welled up with another round of furious and sickened tears.

"What the heck are you doing? Are you out of your mind?"

Without answering, Ash sliced the arteries away in one flick of his wrist, wrenching the remaining guts that held the heart in place free of his prize. He set his backpack down, drawing the locked jewelry box from it and setting it next to him. Meowth took several steps back, not knowing what to expect next. Meanwhile, Max took several hurried steps forward.

Ash glared at him. "I told you already, don't be a hero. I will kill you if you come any closer!"

Jessie snapped out of her sickened stupor, calling out to Max frantically. "Are you nuts? Don't let May's sacrifice be in vain!"

Max balled his fists. "That's right…you took her too. You took everyone from me. You always…always take…"

Ash, without taking his eyes off of Max, forced two fingers down his throat, retching onto the blood-soaked grass before him without a simple gag involved. From the vomit, which was also black and disgustingly mixed with deep red blood, a shining silver key protruded. Ash, still looking at Max and tracking his movements, cleaned the key between his fingers and pushed it into the lock of the box. Just as his fingers had begun to twist the key, Max darted towards Ash, fists pulled back to deliver the heaviest blow he could muster to wherever his reach allowed him. Ash, however, was more than prepared and anticipating, turning quickly and grabbing Max by the neck, lifting him.

Jessie shouted, horrified, as Max began to turn blue, clawing futilely at the hand around his neck, Ash still effortlessly clutching Pikachu's heart in his other hand. Max's world began to dim, and he had lost the ability to inhale. Just as he'd been convinced he was ready to breathe his last, the pain of asphyxiation suddenly ceased, and he dropped onto the ground.

Ash had fallen face forward onto the ground, out cold. Standing behind where he'd been moments ago was a grim-faced James, a steel rod brought down into the position Ash's head had been in moments ago. Accompanying him were Gary, his slung arm not seeming to hinder him much, and Harley, who smirked with accomplishment.

"I tell ya, kid, it's amazing the things you can find in the ruins of a burnt place like that."

-

Unaware of the events in real life and too busy concentrating on his own survival, Ash dodged attack after attack, narrowly missing Reflection's quick and precise jabs at him over and over with the bloody knife.

Reflection frowned in irritation. "You're picking up my pattern, aren't you?"

"Think about it. You're in MY mind. You're fighting how I'm fighting, thinking the same strategy I'm thinking. Naturally I'm going to pick up on your movements."

Reflection jabbed harder, missing all the while still and only managing to shred bits and pieces of Ash's already ravaged and torn clothing.

"That's not possible! How could you possibly even think to gain the upper hand on me after the events thus far?"

After one particularly nasty missed jab, Ash pulled Reflection hard with one arm to bring him forward, driving the knife through his shoulder blade.

"Willpower, like you said!"

However, the black blood wasn't spilt as it usually was when Reflection was wounded. Instead, a flash of light filled Ash's eyes, and an image surrounded him like a cinema where the empty darkness and visions of his subconscious had been. Reflection's eyes went wide, and he clasped his shoulder blade to try and stop the wound from spilling the light, but to no avail as a blood-like liquid spilt in its place, now a sepia shade that reflected that of which was being shown above the two. Ash watched the strange sepia vision unfold before his eyes. An emaciated child with short white hair and rags for cloths was crying out amidst a sea of violet mist before it wrapped itself around the child's neck, efficiently snapping it in two, the light dissolving from his eyes before he was released onto the ground, his neck wrung and clearly showing hand marks where the grip of the mist had been. The mist moved on down over a stone path into a yard where children played, a white house behind it. One child tried to touch the mist, but his hand crumbled and bled where he'd touched it. He screamed in agony, and the mist lifted him by the neck, tossing him to the ground as though he were a rag doll. He was silent when he landed, and the other two children began to run towards the house, shouting and crying and begging for their lives.

Reflection's eyes filled with blackened tears that seemed to consume his whole eye, giving him the impression of having eyes that were pure black, or just nonexistent. He clutched at his hair, the knife having clattered to the ground as he screamed. "Make it stop, stop it, stop…please, stop…"

As astonished as hearing Reflection cry out was, Ash continued watching the gruesome vision. One of the children tripped and was grabbed at the ankle by the mist, lifted high into the air and slammed down to the ground, his head breaking apart on impact, his blood and what remained of his brain splattering out onto the ground behind him. As for the other child, he was frantically pounding on the locked door that was opened too late, as, when a woman holding an infant answered the door, he was already hung and dead from an orange tree growing next to the house, the mist having served him well as a noose.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Reflection continued to cry out as the image went on.

The child fell from the tree's limb and onto the cold ground back-first as the mist released him. Another swirl of mist, like a dagger, shot into the mother's chest, instantaneously piercing her heart. She dropped the infant, which began to cry from the sudden pain of falling. The mist, dripping with blood, muffled the baby's ability to breathe and killed it in the most humane way a baby could be killed, then moved on into the house. The endless slaughter continued on the small family within. Little girls, assorted Pokemon, men, women, everyone was suffering and being slaughtered, the relentless and ruthless mist taking their lives one by one.

The murderous vision continued, and Reflection, blackened eyes ablaze with hatred and rage, picked up his knife and lunged at Ash, not giving him hardly enough time to react and landing a clean jab into Ash's side. Ash stumbled back, clutching his side in pain, but keeping a firm grip on the knife. They returned to the pattern of attacking and blocking between them, but with much more intensity and rage bubbling from Reflection, making Ash's blocking, especially with one hand, much harder. However, the majority of the time, Reflection was attacking too fast to land a hit, giving Ash ample time to react.

Ash managed to slash Reflection's wrists, and again, the light poured from the wound, the sepia blood seeping from it again. Without ceasing their fight, Reflection and Ash continued their struggle whilst watching the cinematic before them.

This one was much less violent. A group of children played together on the misty outskirts of an ominous cave, daring one another to run in and hide. One child, the first to be dared, ran in with a hint of apprehension upon him. His hair was raven, about the same shade as Ash's, and his appearance average and slightly on the scrawny side. He'd run in and had seemingly gotten lost within a matter of moments. He wandered aimlessly, signs of increasing fear showing on his face.

Ash shook his head with realization. "I get it now. You don't have a physical form, right?"

Reflection kept attacking, every bit as raging and angry as before. "What of it?"

"I get it…You're a mass of memories and mist. When I cut you, you literally can't bleed. Instead, fragments and bits of your memories are leaking out, am I right?"

"No…you don't know anything about me!"

Ash, after another missed jab from Reflection, pulled him forward again and plunged the knife into his forearm. As more sepia blood seeped out, a single photo of the raven-haired boy with his family, including his father, mother, baby sibling, two girls and another boy, along with some family Pokemon, showed above. Ash drew the knife out and resumed blocking and dodging.

"See? You're just a mist full of ancient memories. Even though you claim to just want to hurt others the way you were hurt, you're really just trying to compensate for the pain you were astonished to inflict with your own hands after that day, against your will. So you want others to see that feeling, right?"

Reflection's jabs and missed blows slowed until he stopped altogether without lowering his guard. He spoke while avoiding eye contact with Ash.

"I've told you before. You're clever, but you speak as if your idea will keep you safe from harm. You do not understand what's going on right now, do you?"

Reflection tried to return Ash's vision to him, but all was dark, and the vision only reflected what they were doing in the depths of the subconscious. Reflection was confused. "What…what's wrong with your-"

"You tell me. It seems as though I'm passed out, seeing as I can still think and see into here."

Reflection's anger returned to him. "Dammit…even though you have such an astonishing and powerful force inside of you, your body is still weak and human…I should've guessed that the transformation wasn't complete yet."

Ash's eyes went wide. "T-Transformation?"

Reflection smirked at his surprise. "Oh, did I forget to tell you? Haven't you been curious at all by now about those hearts I've been stealing? They have nothing to do with trying to find me anymore. See, without the emotions surrounding one, the transformation cannot take place. That's why I need the hearts of those you are closest to, and the flaws and attributes that come with them."

Ash was still confused. "What do you mean?"

Reflection crossed his arms, the knife still in his hands just in case Ash tried to lunge at him. "There were a good deal of hearts in that little box of yours. Each one represented a different emotion needed to fuel the transformation. Think about this for a moment."

He sat, the knife still in his hands. "Dawn, the first of the victims, was represented as your interpretation of Lust. While you acted as if she were your friend, deep down you were irritated with her, acting and dressing as though she were older and more beautiful than she really was, as though her only attribute was her looks. Her lustful appearance irritated you."

Ash took a few steps backwards. "That's not true…"

"Second was Misty, the representative of Betrayal. You felt as though you could pour all your trust into her, but in reality this was not the case. She'd seldom leave you on your journeys, claiming she was needed elsewhere when in reality nothing was needed at all. You felt she didn't want to be anywhere near you, so you began to hate her inside."

Ash dropped the knife, forgetting about fighting. "No…you're a liar…"

"Third was May, if I'm correct. She was the carrier of Selfishness. She never gave up and always pressed on, but this was not always the case. You felt that the praise she received was all stemming from you, but she was selfish and never credited you for your help, try as you might to aid her. She was ignorant and paid no heed to you as you tried to help her, so you loathed her for those things."

Ash didn't speak, an inner conflict of those feelings thus far making him feel queasy. "Fourth was Paul, the carrier of Arrogance. Self-centered and boastful, Paul never ceased to irritate you on your quests. You wanted him dead more often than not for his irritation he gave to you."

No response.

"Fifth was Drew, the carrier of Envy. You hated him with a passion for having more success with his dreams than you had, or could ever dream of having. You envied him and also wanted him dead."

Still no response from Ash.

"Sixth was Brock, the carrier of Theft. He cared for you more than anything in the world, and yet you felt as though these feelings were nothing more than an excuse to keep you out of the life of everyone else after the trouble he caused you. He'd flirt with every girl you would stumble across in an effort to keep you from ever having a chance at love, or a chance to screw it up."

Tears were dripping from Ash's face by now, but still he didn't respond.

"Seventh, and although I have not told you of its death yet, I am sure you know it in your gut. Pikachu, the carrier of Abandonment. You two had a closer bond than anything in your life, but you've always felt as though it wasn't real, as though the second Pikachu turned on you and left you, you would fall apart, your life coming to a standstill and your hopes and dreams ripped to shreds. You wanted Pikachu all to yourself, but always had the sickening feeling Pikachu wanted nothing but to leave you."

Ash merely cried, his voice shaky and depressed. "How…how did you know all this…?"

"We're in your subconscious, after all. And considering that the transformation's effects thus far have seemed to be working, I can tell those things I've spoken were more than true. You've lasted longer with me inside you than with any of my previous victims, who all died from insanity and self-mutilation in an effort to escape before the process was complete. But you…you are a perfect host. I am nothing more than the parasite of the mind, preparing to attain the greatest gift of all with a few more ingredients to the alchemy that is the transformation."

"What would that gift be…"

Reflection began to laugh menacingly. "A new body to envelop, to wreak havoc and destruction with, all for myself!"

-

"It's…it's filled with hearts. They're all black," Gary spoke with nausea and disgust in his voice. Everyone cringed as he opened the box for all to see.

Jessie frowned. "What would he want with hearts? That sick bastard."

Harley shook his head. "Ash rarely does anything without reasoning. He must've had a reason."

Meowth was relatively nervous. "How long do you think he'll stay out like that?"

"Oh, not much longer," a sickeningly familiar voice came out.

Ash pushed himself back up off of the ground, looking around at the group. "I see the search and rescue party has arrived, no?"

Everyone tensed, but was unaware of what the next move should be. Ash laughed. "Why the faces? I'm still the same old Ash."

Max spit at him. "You're nothing like Ash, you vile demon!"

In a flash, Ash had disappeared and materialized next to Max, clutching his neck once more. "You little shit, what did you address me as?"

"Let him go!" Jessie rushed towards him, but James was screaming for her to return.

"Jessie, stop it! Come back, there's nothing we can do!"

The next few events played out before Jessie in a disturbing slow motion, as if her life was flashing before her eyes and someone had slowed it down for her. She stopped short at hearing James's voice, but Ash had already thrown Max aside to the ground. Meowth had begun running towards Jessie as well in an effort to stop her, but Ash had a new attack under his sleeve. The violet, nearly blackened, mist had formed and swirled around his fingertips, and began to seep from them, inching their way towards Jessie's throat.

Meowth and James stood in front of her defensively and protectively, but the mist was coming on too fast. Jessie screamed, but her screams were swallowed by an unseen darkness. The mist darted into the chests of the two Team Rocket members, wrenching their dripping and bleeding hearts straight out of their chests in one swift movement. Their chests burst wide open, the two collapsed onto the ground beside Jessie, their eyes having rolled back in their heads. Their chests had opened right where their hearts had been to give everyone a glimpse of the pain that they had suffered in their last moments.

As she cried, filled with misery, she noticed that Harley, out of the corner of her eye, was fleeing, running for his dear life. A third tentacle of mist shot from Ash's fingertips and caught up to Harley in an instant, crushing his neck effortlessly before delving into his chest and drawing forth his heart as well. Ash threw the hearts into the opened box, and the mist aura around him grew thicker and stronger, veiling him from everyone's reach or touch. He clutched the box tightly with one arm and drew his knife with the other. He began to mutter to himself.

"The transformation…it's almost complete. Only one more victim is needed now."

-

Ash began to cry out, sobbing. "No more victims, please, no more! That's enough!"

Reflection smirked at his misery, licking the knife gingerly once more. "And here we've received Stupidity, Persistence, and Cowardice. Quite a good group, wouldn't you say? And now it is time for the final sacrifice, the last victim I need to complete the transformation, along with the only one I've never gotten my hands on."

"Which is?"

-

Ash, his knife clean of blood, thanks to the mist, set the box of hearts down next to him as Max, Jessie and Gary watched him in horror, still in shock from what had just happened. He turned the knife to his own chest, arm drawn back and poised to stab, but dropped it at the last second, lowering himself to his knees.

"No, I shall not use you. I must savor this. With my own mist, through my own hands, without the aid of the host, I will take his heart, the final sacrifice, and make him the carrier of Perseverance!"

Reflection began to glow, his violet and misty aura pulsating. Ash stepped backwards in horror, having dropped his knife long ago, and ran for his life.

"Your soul, your heart, your body, they're mine, Ash Ketchum!"


End file.
